It's one of those tasks that I only remember when I can't possibly do something about it. I'll be driving, or showering, or squirting chemicals into tiny tubes and I'll think "I gotta learn how to darn." How many lovely but holey pairs of socks have I thrown away after finally acknowledging that hanging around in my sock bag was not magically mending them. Sigh.
But today, I was poking around on my favorite knitting site, www.knitty.com, and I found these very clear instructions on how to darn. Woo hoo! Of course, now I actually have to DO the darning, but it seems like something satisfying to do in front of the TV or on the bus.
Anybody else out there darn?
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Energy Talk - Let's Get Real
OK folks, I've had just about all I can take of the so-called energy debate. I understand that high gas prices are causing real hardship around the country and the poorest people, as usual, are the hardest hit. And this situation surely is not their fault. But let's get real: we have known for as long as I've been alive that the supply of fossil fuels available to us is finite, unless we somehow want to put ourselves in suspended animation for the billion or so years it would take for the earth to turn more organic matter into crude oil.
Our current problems are not really a function of increased demand from the Chinese, or liberals blocking oil drilling, or speculators in the oil market. Our current problems stem from an absolute refusal of our political leadership to form and enact any kind of real plan for shifting the nation from an infrastructure that relies on oil to one that relies on renewable energy. Jimmy Carter tried, Ronald Reagan put a stop to it and no one's had the balls to do it since. That's the reality. No amount of hand-wringing will change the fact that we now have dramatically less time in which to make this transition and that more people are suffering and more will suffer because of it.
So let's stop pretending that any of the short-term measures proposed - gas tax relief, drilling in Alaska, punishing speculators, or even corn-based ethanol (which consumes as much energy as it produces) - are going to solve this problem.
And by the way, if you own an SUV or another gas-guzzling vehicle, you are screwed. Sorry to say "I told you so" but I did (to numerous friends and family members). I advise you to graciously accept the loss you will inevitably take when you trade that sucker in for the smaller Japanese car you know you should have purchased in the first place. And no, my friends, 27 mpg is NOT fuel-efficient. It's a joke. If you are driving a car that gets less than 33 mpg on the highway, you've been had. (By the way, my 1994 - that's not a typo - Honda Accord gets 33 mpg on the highway, so no excuses).
So what do we do now? Well, first of all we realize that Exxon Mobile and the other members of the big oil cabal are not our friends. They will not tell us the truth and they do not have our best interests at heart. They are happily enjoying the biggest profits they have ever earned, alongside huge tax breaks courtesy of their friends in Washington, D.C. So when they say that the technology just does not exist to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy, you ask yourself "Well, have we really tried? And should we believe people who stand to make billions if we continue to do things their way?"
Then you take a deep breath and look around and realize that our oil-based infrastructure - interstates, country roads, etc. - was paid for by us: the taxpayer. Big oil, the trucking industry, Detroit did not pay for us to have a car and truck-based economy, we did. They just profit from it. So if we are going to switch to an energy-efficient economy and free ourselves from our "addiction to big oil" we are going to pay for it. Oh I hear all the republicans crying out! Taxes! Taxes! Well, if we spent one month's worth of Iraq spending on re-building our national energy infrastructure, we'd be well on our way and we managed to come up with that money, didn't we? And think of what we could save if we stopped subsidizing big oil.
We need a massive, WPA-style effort to build windmills, install solar panels and rapidly improve the technology for making ethanol from crops that don't require fertilizer, like grass. We need huge programs to help people make homes and businesses more fuel efficient. And guess what? These programs will put people to work, pump money into our flagging economy, address global warming, and (possibly) bring some of our precious nation back from the brink of destruction by pollution and over-development. So if they cost us in taxes and increase our already staggering debt, at least they are an investment that will pay real dividends back to us, the people (unlike the investments we've been making into Corporate America and Big Oil, which, as far as I can tell, have been returning jack).
Will it be easy? Of course not. Few things worth doing are easy. Will it be painful? Sometimes, and more for some people than others. But it will also be exciting, rewarding and fun. All of us feel the anxiety that comes from knowing we are living a lifestyle that cannot last. We get in our cars and drive to the mall, and part of us wonders "How much longer can this go on? What happens after it's all over?" Let's stop wondering and worrying. Let's stop waiting for a scientist to discover a solution. We already have the solution. Let's take the Nike pill and "Just Do It."
Our current problems are not really a function of increased demand from the Chinese, or liberals blocking oil drilling, or speculators in the oil market. Our current problems stem from an absolute refusal of our political leadership to form and enact any kind of real plan for shifting the nation from an infrastructure that relies on oil to one that relies on renewable energy. Jimmy Carter tried, Ronald Reagan put a stop to it and no one's had the balls to do it since. That's the reality. No amount of hand-wringing will change the fact that we now have dramatically less time in which to make this transition and that more people are suffering and more will suffer because of it.
So let's stop pretending that any of the short-term measures proposed - gas tax relief, drilling in Alaska, punishing speculators, or even corn-based ethanol (which consumes as much energy as it produces) - are going to solve this problem.
And by the way, if you own an SUV or another gas-guzzling vehicle, you are screwed. Sorry to say "I told you so" but I did (to numerous friends and family members). I advise you to graciously accept the loss you will inevitably take when you trade that sucker in for the smaller Japanese car you know you should have purchased in the first place. And no, my friends, 27 mpg is NOT fuel-efficient. It's a joke. If you are driving a car that gets less than 33 mpg on the highway, you've been had. (By the way, my 1994 - that's not a typo - Honda Accord gets 33 mpg on the highway, so no excuses).
So what do we do now? Well, first of all we realize that Exxon Mobile and the other members of the big oil cabal are not our friends. They will not tell us the truth and they do not have our best interests at heart. They are happily enjoying the biggest profits they have ever earned, alongside huge tax breaks courtesy of their friends in Washington, D.C. So when they say that the technology just does not exist to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy, you ask yourself "Well, have we really tried? And should we believe people who stand to make billions if we continue to do things their way?"
Then you take a deep breath and look around and realize that our oil-based infrastructure - interstates, country roads, etc. - was paid for by us: the taxpayer. Big oil, the trucking industry, Detroit did not pay for us to have a car and truck-based economy, we did. They just profit from it. So if we are going to switch to an energy-efficient economy and free ourselves from our "addiction to big oil" we are going to pay for it. Oh I hear all the republicans crying out! Taxes! Taxes! Well, if we spent one month's worth of Iraq spending on re-building our national energy infrastructure, we'd be well on our way and we managed to come up with that money, didn't we? And think of what we could save if we stopped subsidizing big oil.
We need a massive, WPA-style effort to build windmills, install solar panels and rapidly improve the technology for making ethanol from crops that don't require fertilizer, like grass. We need huge programs to help people make homes and businesses more fuel efficient. And guess what? These programs will put people to work, pump money into our flagging economy, address global warming, and (possibly) bring some of our precious nation back from the brink of destruction by pollution and over-development. So if they cost us in taxes and increase our already staggering debt, at least they are an investment that will pay real dividends back to us, the people (unlike the investments we've been making into Corporate America and Big Oil, which, as far as I can tell, have been returning jack).
Will it be easy? Of course not. Few things worth doing are easy. Will it be painful? Sometimes, and more for some people than others. But it will also be exciting, rewarding and fun. All of us feel the anxiety that comes from knowing we are living a lifestyle that cannot last. We get in our cars and drive to the mall, and part of us wonders "How much longer can this go on? What happens after it's all over?" Let's stop wondering and worrying. Let's stop waiting for a scientist to discover a solution. We already have the solution. Let's take the Nike pill and "Just Do It."
Monday, August 18, 2008
Imam Bayildi and Long Beans - The Sequel
Yesterday, I blogged about my experiment with Imam Bayilidi. I decided to add a novel ingredient - asian long beans - and promised to report.
Well, it was good last night and really good today, especially when I cooked an egg in it in the microwave. The long beans are a lovely addition - they're chewy enough to hold onto their texture through the braising, taking on the flavors of the dish nicely, and develop a deep green color that really complements the eggplant and tomatoes. Couple of things I would do differently the next time:
~ use smaller eggplant, or cut a big one up into smaller pieces. The parts of the huge one I used that didn't get direct contact with the sauce were a bit bland.
~ more salt (though salting the finished product also works well)
Many more variations are possible (some herbs, some pepper), but here's a basic recipe based on what I did:
1 - 2 lbs of eggplant
4 roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 - 2 yellow onions, chopped
bunch of olive oil (just have the bottle handy)
4-5 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped.
kosher or coarse sea salt
1 bunch of long beans (regular green beans would probably work, too), tipped, tailed and cut into 2-3 inch lengths
black pepper
1. peel strips longways off the eggplant to create a nice striped pattern.
2. If you're working with medium or small eggplants, cut them in half, lengthwise and then cut a slit down the middle to make a pocket. Sprinkle the whole thing, including the pocket, with salt and set on a paper towel for 30 mins. If you have one big eggplant, you could either cut it in quarters, or slice it. Either way, sprinkle with salt and let rest, as above.
3. While the eggplant are exuding bitterness and water, make the sauce. Start by sautéing the onions in some olive oil. When they have softened just a bit, add the garlic and then the tomatoes. Salt and pepper this to taste and let it cook for about 10 mins or so, just to get the whole thing blended. Set aside.
4. When yer eggplants are done, rinse them well to get rid of the extra salt. Dry them off and then brown them cut side down in olive oil, in a big, deep sauté pan. When they're nice and brown, flip them over.
5. Now, tuck the beans around the eggplant, and add the sauce. If you have pockets in the eggplant, stuff some sauce in there, and pour what's left over the whole shebang. Add about a quarter cup of water.
6. Cover the pan, and let the stuff cook over medium heat for 30-50 minutes, until the eggplant are very soft. Check occasionally to make sure there's enough liquid in the pan.
7. You can serve this right away (code for "you can eat this right out of the pot with a spoon"), but it's yummier if you let it cool and eat the next day - it's good room temp or heated up.
One note - don't be stingy with the olive oil. If you're worried about too much fat, make a different dish. Part of Imam Bayildi's unique deliciousness comes from luxurious amounts of olive oil, and it just won't taste really good without it.
Well, it was good last night and really good today, especially when I cooked an egg in it in the microwave. The long beans are a lovely addition - they're chewy enough to hold onto their texture through the braising, taking on the flavors of the dish nicely, and develop a deep green color that really complements the eggplant and tomatoes. Couple of things I would do differently the next time:
~ use smaller eggplant, or cut a big one up into smaller pieces. The parts of the huge one I used that didn't get direct contact with the sauce were a bit bland.
~ more salt (though salting the finished product also works well)
Many more variations are possible (some herbs, some pepper), but here's a basic recipe based on what I did:
1 - 2 lbs of eggplant
4 roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 - 2 yellow onions, chopped
bunch of olive oil (just have the bottle handy)
4-5 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped.
kosher or coarse sea salt
1 bunch of long beans (regular green beans would probably work, too), tipped, tailed and cut into 2-3 inch lengths
black pepper
1. peel strips longways off the eggplant to create a nice striped pattern.
2. If you're working with medium or small eggplants, cut them in half, lengthwise and then cut a slit down the middle to make a pocket. Sprinkle the whole thing, including the pocket, with salt and set on a paper towel for 30 mins. If you have one big eggplant, you could either cut it in quarters, or slice it. Either way, sprinkle with salt and let rest, as above.
3. While the eggplant are exuding bitterness and water, make the sauce. Start by sautéing the onions in some olive oil. When they have softened just a bit, add the garlic and then the tomatoes. Salt and pepper this to taste and let it cook for about 10 mins or so, just to get the whole thing blended. Set aside.
4. When yer eggplants are done, rinse them well to get rid of the extra salt. Dry them off and then brown them cut side down in olive oil, in a big, deep sauté pan. When they're nice and brown, flip them over.
5. Now, tuck the beans around the eggplant, and add the sauce. If you have pockets in the eggplant, stuff some sauce in there, and pour what's left over the whole shebang. Add about a quarter cup of water.
6. Cover the pan, and let the stuff cook over medium heat for 30-50 minutes, until the eggplant are very soft. Check occasionally to make sure there's enough liquid in the pan.
7. You can serve this right away (code for "you can eat this right out of the pot with a spoon"), but it's yummier if you let it cool and eat the next day - it's good room temp or heated up.
One note - don't be stingy with the olive oil. If you're worried about too much fat, make a different dish. Part of Imam Bayildi's unique deliciousness comes from luxurious amounts of olive oil, and it just won't taste really good without it.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Blueberry muffins?
I love blueberries, and the precious few weeks they're in season are some of the happiest of my year. But you won't find any recipes for blueberry muffins, pancakes, waffle or pie on my blog. For me, heat only hurts a blueberry. Once you cook them, blueberries lose the tart freshness that distinguishes them, taking on a kind of sickly sweetness. So once the season is over, I bid farewell to my fine, blue friends and turn to other fruits.
But before that happens, I'm going to delight in as many blueberries as I can, with a few raspberries on the side. My favorite way to eat berries this summer has been mixed with strained yogurt, walnuts and honey. Mmmm....
But before that happens, I'm going to delight in as many blueberries as I can, with a few raspberries on the side. My favorite way to eat berries this summer has been mixed with strained yogurt, walnuts and honey. Mmmm....
Imam Bayildi and Long Beans
Literally translated as "the Imam faints," this dish features eggplant (a huge favorite vegetable of mine) braised in a fresh tomato sauce. I heard about for the first time the other day, when I was listening to Ivan Watson interview an author on Morning Edition. This guy had written a mystery about Istanbul, in which a eunuch solves crimes and cooks delicious food. The author then makes this dish, Imam Bayildi, for Watson who declared it delicious.
So at the Farmer's Market yesterday, I hunted down a big, sexy eggplant and some heirloom roma tomatoes with this dish in mind. I also couldn't resist a bunch of long beans. I braised some green beans the other night, and wanted to try it again.
As I worked through the Imam Bayildi recipe, I started thinking - since I'm basically braising the eggplant, why not cook the long beans right in the same pan? So after I browned the eggplant and stuffed it with the tomato sauce, I sprinkled the trimmed beans into the pan around the eggplant, and poured the rest of the sauce on top. The jury is still out, since the dish is braising as I write, but it's looking good. If I like the results, I'll post a recipe.
So at the Farmer's Market yesterday, I hunted down a big, sexy eggplant and some heirloom roma tomatoes with this dish in mind. I also couldn't resist a bunch of long beans. I braised some green beans the other night, and wanted to try it again.
As I worked through the Imam Bayildi recipe, I started thinking - since I'm basically braising the eggplant, why not cook the long beans right in the same pan? So after I browned the eggplant and stuffed it with the tomato sauce, I sprinkled the trimmed beans into the pan around the eggplant, and poured the rest of the sauce on top. The jury is still out, since the dish is braising as I write, but it's looking good. If I like the results, I'll post a recipe.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
But since you want to know...
Legend is doing much better. Since all his tests were negative, I decided to test the hypothesis that the peeing is a symptom of pain (dogs drink a lot when they're hurting and even the best-disciplined guy can't hold it forever after 6 cups of water). Legend has old racing injuries and once I started paying attention, I noticed he was moving more slowly and awkwardly.
I put him back on glucosamine and added some fish oil. Plus I'm giving him anti-inflammatory pain killers twice a day (this dog's food dish is a smörgåsbord). He definitely seems more comfortable and no peeing accidents of late (but I hate to even write that). The real test will be when I wean him off the pain killers in mid-September (it takes about 6 weeks for glucosamine to have an effect).
I put him back on glucosamine and added some fish oil. Plus I'm giving him anti-inflammatory pain killers twice a day (this dog's food dish is a smörgåsbord). He definitely seems more comfortable and no peeing accidents of late (but I hate to even write that). The real test will be when I wean him off the pain killers in mid-September (it takes about 6 weeks for glucosamine to have an effect).
Sweet Corn Salad
OK, so it's been a while. And I suspect my little cadre of readers would like to know about the fate of my paper, the health of my dog, my thoughts on the election. However, this blog is about me getting to enjoy writing, and what I really want to write about is food. Let's all say it together: "mmmm...food."
I'm heading to a potluck tonight, and after considering many possibilities (mostly concerning a pair of beets that are getting no younger in my crisper bin), I decided on a sweet corn salad. Have you encountered this entity? It's sometimes also served as a relish, but I think it's so delicious that I eat it by the spoonful, so I figured I might as well serve it as a salad.
Here's my version:
6 ears of squeakin' fresh sweet corn (Farmer's Market)
2 tomatoes (1 orange from the garden and 1 red heirloom from the market), chopped
1/2 a red onion, diced pretty fine (no one likes a big hunk of onion in their salad)
3 stalks of celery, diced
6-8 basil leaves, julienned (cilantro would also be delicious here)
1/4 cup of olive oil (but good corn oil would be good, too)
3 or so T rice vinegar (cuz that's what I had that wasn't balsamic, but you could use any other light vinegar or lime juice)
S&P
Shuck each ear of corn and then cut the kernels off into a deep bowl with a sharp knife. Add the onion, celery, tomatoes, and basil and mix. Mix up a dressing with the olive oil, vinegar, S&P. My measurements are VERY approximate, since I do this by eye. Just mix and taste and add, until it tastes right. The corn is quite sweet, so it's OK to have the dressing on the tart side. Add the dressing to the salad, mix it all up, and taste some more. Adjust your dressing til the whole thing tastes so good you want to pull up a chair and spoon and finish the bowl.
Now you may be wondering, can I really serve corn that hasn't been cooked? My answer, dear reader, is a resounding YES!! When sweet corn is really fresh and delicious (like it is right now), it needs no cooking. If you doubt me, be brave and eat a bite right off an ear before you cook it. You'll ask yourself, why have I been wasting time boiling water all these years? Mostly to get the darned thing hot enough so the butter melts on it. Now, there's nothing wrong with cooking your corn (who doesn't like melted butter??!!!). All I'm saying is that you don't HAVE to.
So give this salad a try. This recipe makes a lot, because if you're going to the trouble of slicing and dicing, you might as well enjoy the fruits of your labor for a few days - it's probably about 8 generous portions.
Give it a try and let me know what you think.
I'm heading to a potluck tonight, and after considering many possibilities (mostly concerning a pair of beets that are getting no younger in my crisper bin), I decided on a sweet corn salad. Have you encountered this entity? It's sometimes also served as a relish, but I think it's so delicious that I eat it by the spoonful, so I figured I might as well serve it as a salad.
Here's my version:
6 ears of squeakin' fresh sweet corn (Farmer's Market)
2 tomatoes (1 orange from the garden and 1 red heirloom from the market), chopped
1/2 a red onion, diced pretty fine (no one likes a big hunk of onion in their salad)
3 stalks of celery, diced
6-8 basil leaves, julienned (cilantro would also be delicious here)
1/4 cup of olive oil (but good corn oil would be good, too)
3 or so T rice vinegar (cuz that's what I had that wasn't balsamic, but you could use any other light vinegar or lime juice)
S&P
Shuck each ear of corn and then cut the kernels off into a deep bowl with a sharp knife. Add the onion, celery, tomatoes, and basil and mix. Mix up a dressing with the olive oil, vinegar, S&P. My measurements are VERY approximate, since I do this by eye. Just mix and taste and add, until it tastes right. The corn is quite sweet, so it's OK to have the dressing on the tart side. Add the dressing to the salad, mix it all up, and taste some more. Adjust your dressing til the whole thing tastes so good you want to pull up a chair and spoon and finish the bowl.
Now you may be wondering, can I really serve corn that hasn't been cooked? My answer, dear reader, is a resounding YES!! When sweet corn is really fresh and delicious (like it is right now), it needs no cooking. If you doubt me, be brave and eat a bite right off an ear before you cook it. You'll ask yourself, why have I been wasting time boiling water all these years? Mostly to get the darned thing hot enough so the butter melts on it. Now, there's nothing wrong with cooking your corn (who doesn't like melted butter??!!!). All I'm saying is that you don't HAVE to.
So give this salad a try. This recipe makes a lot, because if you're going to the trouble of slicing and dicing, you might as well enjoy the fruits of your labor for a few days - it's probably about 8 generous portions.
Give it a try and let me know what you think.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Update on Legend
Well, I took Legend to the vet yesterday. He was fine through having some blood drawn, having the vet lady prod him while he was standing up, etc. But when she got him lying down and tried to feel his bladder, he freaked out and tried to bite her. Bad sign. For those of you who don't know greyhounds, they are typically very docile and well-behaved for vet procedures, there being a lot of that at the track. So the fact that he reacted so strongly shows that something in there really hurts.
They're running the blood tests now and I'll have more information tomorrow. It could be something simple, like kidney or gall stones, or something more serious. I'm trying not to worry. Timing is bad, since I'm leaving the country tomorrow for 10 days. But my good friend, Terry, will be my proxy while I'm gone.
You know, I didn't realize how attached I'd become to this animal until I heard him cry out in pain. Let's all keep our fingers crossed that he's o.k.
They're running the blood tests now and I'll have more information tomorrow. It could be something simple, like kidney or gall stones, or something more serious. I'm trying not to worry. Timing is bad, since I'm leaving the country tomorrow for 10 days. But my good friend, Terry, will be my proxy while I'm gone.
You know, I didn't realize how attached I'd become to this animal until I heard him cry out in pain. Let's all keep our fingers crossed that he's o.k.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Beef Heart
Kind of like Braveheart, but not exactly. Last week at the Northside Farmer's Market I purchased a beef heart from a vendor selling meat from their grassfed cattle. Back when I was first studying human anatomy and physiology, I dissected a cow heart. I remember thinking, "wow, this is a lot of meat! People should eat these." So when I saw it on their product this, I decided to give it a try. It's sitting in my freezer, waiting for inspiration and the right occasion. Cooking websites and cookbooks are not exactly overflowing with recipes for beef heart. But I've found a couple and all call for long, slow cooking. Doesn't seem so appealing in these warm summer days, but maybe I'll roll out the ol' crockpot, especially now that I got my new AC hooked up. Any of you ever eaten beef heart?
Legend update
Results from Legend's urinalysis were the same as last week - everything normal except for an elevated pH. I'm taking him into the vet on Monday to get a blood draw so they can do some further tests. Timing on this is tough, with me leaving for the Netherlands on Wednesday. Poor guy.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Sexism and Politics
Many of you have experienced the sharp side of my tongue in the last few months, as the media has debated the role of sexism in Hillary Clinton's defeat. Before the primaries even began I was arguing against Hillary running because she is so polarizing. I thought she ran a sloppy, ineffective campaign right through March, when she finally woke up and realized she wasn't going to be crowned queen without some actual work on the ground.
So the insinuation by some in her campaign (and out) that she lost because of sexism really rubbed me the wrong way. It seems clear to me that Hillary lost because of arrogance and poor leadership and we are all the luckier for it.
But I am forced to acknowledge that my vehemence reflects a little internalized sexism of my own. As I list Hillary's sins - an unwarranted sense of entitlement, disorganization, political ambitions that outweigh her integrity - I notice that I can think of only one politician who does not share these, and it's not fair to insist that every person have as much ethical force as Russ Feingold. So why do I hold Senator Clinton to higher standards than anyone else? Could it be that I am looking for a reason to be against her? Am I scared to get behind the woman and feel all that sexism and - let's just say it - hate, directed my way? Worth some reflection.
So the insinuation by some in her campaign (and out) that she lost because of sexism really rubbed me the wrong way. It seems clear to me that Hillary lost because of arrogance and poor leadership and we are all the luckier for it.
But I am forced to acknowledge that my vehemence reflects a little internalized sexism of my own. As I list Hillary's sins - an unwarranted sense of entitlement, disorganization, political ambitions that outweigh her integrity - I notice that I can think of only one politician who does not share these, and it's not fair to insist that every person have as much ethical force as Russ Feingold. So why do I hold Senator Clinton to higher standards than anyone else? Could it be that I am looking for a reason to be against her? Am I scared to get behind the woman and feel all that sexism and - let's just say it - hate, directed my way? Worth some reflection.
Tiger is Sick
Last night, Bill called me with sad news. A young friend of ours, Tiger, has leukemia. She's 11 and her mom has had to quit her job to stay home and care for her. On top of all the terrible worry, they are now in real financial straits. Bill is a wonderful friend, and has started some impromptu fundraising to help the family out while Tiger goes through chemotherapy. If you'd like to contribute (any amount is welcome!) let me know and I'll put you in touch with him.
Worried About Signor Snout
So Legend has been turning over a new and not-so-welcome leaf. I started letting him sleep on my bed (I know, I know, but it's so lovely snoozing next to a greyhound) and twice now he's peed in it. I don't think he's even aware of it - when he knows he has to pee he whines and asks for my attention. I took him to the vet after the first time, and he checked out fine except for his urine pH - it was really high, around 8 (dog urine pH is supposed to be around 5).
The vet and I discussed options and decided to give it a week and see if it took care of itself. Well, last night he peed in my bed for the second time. Sigh. So tomorrow I'll take him back to the vet and get his urine checked again. Aside from the expense and inconvenience, it's also quite worrying! Anyone have any experience with dog pee issues?
The vet and I discussed options and decided to give it a week and see if it took care of itself. Well, last night he peed in my bed for the second time. Sigh. So tomorrow I'll take him back to the vet and get his urine checked again. Aside from the expense and inconvenience, it's also quite worrying! Anyone have any experience with dog pee issues?
Recent cooking pleasantries
Here's a few recent cooking successes:
~ Red lentil dahl with fried ramps. Those of you who shop at Farmer's Markets might have been cooking with ramps of late. They're the shoots of young garlic plants and they have a lovely, mild flavor. I've always wondered what to do with them, but I found a great use for them here, frying them 'til crispy in olive oil, and then adding them to the dahl when it was almost done.
~ Asparagus and eggs. This is a fairly traditional combo and so easy to make! This time I just chopped fresh asparagus into inch-sized chunks, briefly sauteed in olive oil and butter, then cracked a couple of eggs on top to cook. I intended to cook them just til the whites were set, but I got caught up in a phone convo and they ended up going til the yolks were firm. Still delicious, especially with a little parmesan sprinkled on top.
~ Ice tea. I'm a huge fan, especially of the Arnold Palmer (half iced-tea, half lemonade). This summer, I'm making big pitchers of sun tea with Trader Joe's decaf Irish Breakfast. I let it steep all day, then add the juice of a lemon or two and a bunch of sugar dissolved in hot water. If I'm really ambitious, I trundle down to the back yard and pick some fresh mint and add that. Deeee-licious!!
I'm headed to a clothing swap on Sunday (ever been to one of those? It's where a bunch of women - or men - get together and bring all the clothes they want to get rid of. You get to go through all the stuff and pick out what you'd like. New clothes for free! And recycling!). Anyway, we're all bringing snacks and I'm considering what to bring. Any tips? Needs to be easy 'cuz I'm all busy this weekend getting ready for my trip. There are still tons of strawberries at the local markets - maybe berries and cream?
~ Red lentil dahl with fried ramps. Those of you who shop at Farmer's Markets might have been cooking with ramps of late. They're the shoots of young garlic plants and they have a lovely, mild flavor. I've always wondered what to do with them, but I found a great use for them here, frying them 'til crispy in olive oil, and then adding them to the dahl when it was almost done.
~ Asparagus and eggs. This is a fairly traditional combo and so easy to make! This time I just chopped fresh asparagus into inch-sized chunks, briefly sauteed in olive oil and butter, then cracked a couple of eggs on top to cook. I intended to cook them just til the whites were set, but I got caught up in a phone convo and they ended up going til the yolks were firm. Still delicious, especially with a little parmesan sprinkled on top.
~ Ice tea. I'm a huge fan, especially of the Arnold Palmer (half iced-tea, half lemonade). This summer, I'm making big pitchers of sun tea with Trader Joe's decaf Irish Breakfast. I let it steep all day, then add the juice of a lemon or two and a bunch of sugar dissolved in hot water. If I'm really ambitious, I trundle down to the back yard and pick some fresh mint and add that. Deeee-licious!!
I'm headed to a clothing swap on Sunday (ever been to one of those? It's where a bunch of women - or men - get together and bring all the clothes they want to get rid of. You get to go through all the stuff and pick out what you'd like. New clothes for free! And recycling!). Anyway, we're all bringing snacks and I'm considering what to bring. Any tips? Needs to be easy 'cuz I'm all busy this weekend getting ready for my trip. There are still tons of strawberries at the local markets - maybe berries and cream?
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Turning Down Public Funds
Lest I be seen as naively uncritical of my candidate, let me go on the record and say it: turning down public financing was a mistake. OK, maybe the system is broken. Maybe the campaign can make more money without public financing. But do we really need to spend that much more money? And what does that say about us? That we'll leave no nickel unspent on ads, ads and more ads?
Turning down public financing left the moral high-ground to our opponent in a year when we must run on a message of being principled. Bad.
Turning down public financing left the moral high-ground to our opponent in a year when we must run on a message of being principled. Bad.
Obama and Race
Yesterday, NPR's Scott Simon accused Barack Obama of playing the race card. Obama had warned in a speech that his opposition would make an issue of his race. "Foul!" cried Simon, "McCain hasn't said a single thing about Obama's blackness!" But an article in the NYT about the multi-million dollar swift-boating of John Kerry makes it clear that the candidate, himself, never needs to do that kind of dirty work. There are always people like T. Boone Pickens ready to do it for him.
I, for one, am relieved to see Barack Obama taking an aggressive approach to defining and defending himself before the Republicans do.
I, for one, am relieved to see Barack Obama taking an aggressive approach to defining and defending himself before the Republicans do.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Ahhh...construction
For the last few weeks, the street where I live has been closed - torn up completely while the city replaces pipes. My bus stop has been moved 5 blocks further away, getting in and out of my driveway is an offroad adventure, rusty water spurts out of my faucets and everything at street level is covered in a fine layer dust. And I couldn't be happier.
Yes, it's true. After years of complaining about Madison's two seasons - winter and construction - I have seen the light. You see, my street is typically a busy, one-way thoroughfare through Madison's East Side. In the summer months when most people are opening their windows at night to let in the cool air, I'm busting out the white noise machines to let me sleep through the street noise. But not this summer, my friends. This summer my busy street has been transformed into a lazy backwater. Neighbors linger on porches in the evenings, chatting. Mountain bikers careen down the street, practicing their mountain-biking moves. By 10:00 pm, it's as quiet on Gorham Street as country lane, and I drift into a long, peaceful night's snooze, window opened wide, to be awakened at 6 am by - get this - birds. Birds! Bliss. [Disclaimer: I'm just as likely to be woken by the greyhound]
Alas, all good things come to an end and so will this construction project. Work is slated to be complete by August 19th. I'm praying for delays!
Yes, it's true. After years of complaining about Madison's two seasons - winter and construction - I have seen the light. You see, my street is typically a busy, one-way thoroughfare through Madison's East Side. In the summer months when most people are opening their windows at night to let in the cool air, I'm busting out the white noise machines to let me sleep through the street noise. But not this summer, my friends. This summer my busy street has been transformed into a lazy backwater. Neighbors linger on porches in the evenings, chatting. Mountain bikers careen down the street, practicing their mountain-biking moves. By 10:00 pm, it's as quiet on Gorham Street as country lane, and I drift into a long, peaceful night's snooze, window opened wide, to be awakened at 6 am by - get this - birds. Birds! Bliss. [Disclaimer: I'm just as likely to be woken by the greyhound]
Alas, all good things come to an end and so will this construction project. Work is slated to be complete by August 19th. I'm praying for delays!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Arrrgghhhh!!!
I find writing the results sections of papers so frustrating! I'm not supposed to repeat what's in tables and figures, and I'm not supposed to interpret the results. So I end up just listing the data in a way that seems incredibly boring and difficult to read. Ugh. Grumble. But I know that EVERYTHING in life will be better when these papers (there are two) are off my plate. Forward!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Supporting Fatherhood
My friend, Fawn, and I were at a coffee shop yesterday when news of Barack Obama's speech on African American fathers appeared in the NY Times. Obama called for tougher enforcement of child support laws and took AA fathers to task for abandoning their families. As we talked, it became clear that decreasing the number of absentee fathers requires more than dinging them for child support. While it's true that being a responsible person requires the decision and the will to do so, it's also true that many factors outside the control of AA men (and poor men, generally) act to undermine their efforts to be responsible fathers: welfare programs that penalize mothers for living in two-income families, lack of accurate sex education and access to birth control that leads to higher rates of teen pregnancy, job discrimination, and bad schools.
It seems to me that if we want more AA men (and men, generally) to be active and responsible fathers, we need programs that reward these behaviors, more than laws that penalize their absence. Specifically, I'd like to see classes in middle and high schools on marriage and family, that identify the core components of healthy relationships and teach basic skills in communication (our local community college taught one called "Relationship Skills/Loving Well" that got national press). I'd like to see job and parenting training for new fathers, maybe even a program like VISTA for new dads. Do you have positive ideas for encouraging and supporting young men to be good fathers? Let's hear 'em.
It seems to me that if we want more AA men (and men, generally) to be active and responsible fathers, we need programs that reward these behaviors, more than laws that penalize their absence. Specifically, I'd like to see classes in middle and high schools on marriage and family, that identify the core components of healthy relationships and teach basic skills in communication (our local community college taught one called "Relationship Skills/Loving Well" that got national press). I'd like to see job and parenting training for new fathers, maybe even a program like VISTA for new dads. Do you have positive ideas for encouraging and supporting young men to be good fathers? Let's hear 'em.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Farmer's Market Haul
The crowds at Madison's fabulous Farmer's Market tend to keep me away, but today's gorgeous sunshine and the prospect of several parties got me hiking up to the capitol this morning. It was, indeed, crowded but I came away with a lovely haul:
~ spinach
~ green onions
~ asparagus
~ strawberries
~ sesame whole wheat bread
Plus, there's a new fancy cheese shop on the square and I had to stop in to sample the wares (http://www.fromagination.com/). We all know what happens when one "samples." I ended up with a piece of beautifully stinky French brie, some local Gouda with fenugreek (really nutty and unique) and a baguette all, for $17.20. Bit steep! But that will be my contribution to this afternoon's gathering. I had promised to bring a fruit salad to brunch tomorrow, but I think I will make a lovely spinach salad with strawberries and walnuts, instead.
I rounded out the journey with a stop at Cafe Soleil, L'Etoile's streetside cafe. There, I indulged in a citrus black iced tea and an epi roll to sustain me on the walk home.
Go food!
~ spinach
~ green onions
~ asparagus
~ strawberries
~ sesame whole wheat bread
Plus, there's a new fancy cheese shop on the square and I had to stop in to sample the wares (http://www.fromagination.com/). We all know what happens when one "samples." I ended up with a piece of beautifully stinky French brie, some local Gouda with fenugreek (really nutty and unique) and a baguette all, for $17.20. Bit steep! But that will be my contribution to this afternoon's gathering. I had promised to bring a fruit salad to brunch tomorrow, but I think I will make a lovely spinach salad with strawberries and walnuts, instead.
I rounded out the journey with a stop at Cafe Soleil, L'Etoile's streetside cafe. There, I indulged in a citrus black iced tea and an epi roll to sustain me on the walk home.
Go food!
Why I'm blogging
I'm a scientist, a dog-owner, an active godmother, a member of my local yiddish choir and erstwhile knitter. Why then, would I add to my to-do list (which is full of languishing projects from vacuuming to office clean-up to working out) yet another task?
Well, see, it's like this: a big part of my livelihood is writing. When you think of scientists (or any researcher, for that matter) you might not think of that verb, but writing is the heart of what we do. We write scholarly articles, lectures, grant proposals and literature reviews. When we're not writing our own stuff, we're reviewing someone else's. And this writing is often hard. We are charged with communicating complex, technical ideas as concisely as possible, always remembering to cite the right person, and to present these ideas in such a way as to never overstate our conclusions but still convince editors and reviewers that what we have to say is both novel and important. That's a lot of pressure.
I've come to notice that under all this pressure, writing has lost some of its joy for me. In the years preceding my science career, when I wrote newsletters, memos, progress reports and technical manuals, I had a lot of fun writing. Now, I approach my writing sessions with some dread and sense of impending failure. It seems inevitable that whatever I write won't be good enough for some reviewer. It can make a person feel a little less than eager to sit down in front of her manuscript and pound away at the keys.
This blog is my attempt to re-capture some of my enjoyment for the process of writing. It's a place to express my thoughts and ideas without the fearful pressures of peer-review, a place where I can use the first-person pronoun to my heart's delight and liberally embellish with adjectives. It would be an added to bonus to find that writing in this format loosens me up to work on more scholarly projects, and that the two forums feed each other.
Andiamo!
Well, see, it's like this: a big part of my livelihood is writing. When you think of scientists (or any researcher, for that matter) you might not think of that verb, but writing is the heart of what we do. We write scholarly articles, lectures, grant proposals and literature reviews. When we're not writing our own stuff, we're reviewing someone else's. And this writing is often hard. We are charged with communicating complex, technical ideas as concisely as possible, always remembering to cite the right person, and to present these ideas in such a way as to never overstate our conclusions but still convince editors and reviewers that what we have to say is both novel and important. That's a lot of pressure.
I've come to notice that under all this pressure, writing has lost some of its joy for me. In the years preceding my science career, when I wrote newsletters, memos, progress reports and technical manuals, I had a lot of fun writing. Now, I approach my writing sessions with some dread and sense of impending failure. It seems inevitable that whatever I write won't be good enough for some reviewer. It can make a person feel a little less than eager to sit down in front of her manuscript and pound away at the keys.
This blog is my attempt to re-capture some of my enjoyment for the process of writing. It's a place to express my thoughts and ideas without the fearful pressures of peer-review, a place where I can use the first-person pronoun to my heart's delight and liberally embellish with adjectives. It would be an added to bonus to find that writing in this format loosens me up to work on more scholarly projects, and that the two forums feed each other.
Andiamo!
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