Highlight

The highlight of my day was snagging a free leftover carrot cupcake. Delicious.

---

On another note, today I was wondering when are we going to have a president that speaks another language? Heck, why doesn't the Secretary of State speak another language? And I quote: "The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President's chief foreign affairs adviser."

Foreign affairs. Doesn't speak another language. What does that say about how political figures are chosen - merit or connection?

Sabra

I had a hummus discussion in the grocery store the other day with some guy who was buying the hummus on sale. He was not buying Sabra. I tried to tell him, but he just wouldn't listen. Then it occurred to me -- the blond hair, the freckles. Not a Jew. Jews know Sabra is the best hummus there is. Creamy, not tahini-tasting. Delicious globs of [insert flavor]. And, they have a new flavor, Sun dried tomato. I know it can be a bit pricey, but a grocery store like Albertson's sells it for $3.99 (versus King Super's $4.99). It's worth it, people. Do not scrimp on the hummus. I'm just sayin', I have my priorities in line.

Sabra in Hebrew means 'A Jewish person born in Israeli territory.' In Arabic, sabr means 'aloe', 'cactus', or 'patience.' And, perhaps only related in my mind, in Spanish sabroso means delicious. And that's what Sabra is. De-e-licious.

www.sabra.com/

Star Kitchen

Star Kitchen,

You let me down. Big time. I know we've had at least one good meal together - you remember? That time I came for Dim Sum on a Sunday afternoon? It was decent. I thought we were friends.

But then today, your Chow Fun with vegetables was just all wrong! First it's a box of noodles and a container of the goodies. What!? Why aren't they mixed? Then, the sauce is so-so, and - let's be honest - the noodles were not wide rice noodles. They were pretty much just regular old skinny noodles.

Once again confirmed that there is no good Chinese food here in Denver.

Thanks a lot, Star Kitchen.

Fake fall

Just as there is no spring on Cape Cod, there is no fall here in Denver. The mornings are starting to get a bit chilly (low 50s?), but every afternoon is over 80 degrees. It's too hot, people. Mom said the leaves are changing back home. Here, I am still sweating just running errands around town. I am going out to western Colorado in a couple weeks to hang out there for a weekend, and I hope the leaves will be nice.

The weeks trudge on - is this week 5 of class? - and I am starting to feel that there is more work to be done. I also feel like I'm just biding my time here, waiting out the semester. I think I'm supposed to look forward to graduating, but it doesn't feel that way. Things are looming ahead: where do I take the bar? Passing the bar. Getting a job. Paying off loans. It's all very daunting.

Yesterday I got dim sum at a pretty good place with my friend, Viv. We picked up some groceries, too, from the Asian grocery store. I got a huuuge bag of brown rice (5 lbs?) for $4.50 and some curry paste for $1.99. So cheap. After, she also helped me buy and move a $24.99 used comfy chair from the fancy-shmancy Goodwill on Broadway. It's pretty great and it fits perfectly. I positioned it to look out the window so I can't wait for late fall or winter to have my cup of tea or morning oatmeal and watch the fountain out in the courtyard. She also confirmed that my place smells like gas, mildly. I haven't closed my window since I moved in.

Happy Monday, or something like that.

food, my real love

Friday:

After work I skipped on over to Baltimore for dinner with my friend to grab dinner after checking out her work's impressive farmer's market and farm, Real Food Farm. They try to bring healthy food options to Baltimore, where there are basically no grocery stores, and cheap food options are essentially limited to fast food and your pick of fried-Chinese-Pizza-Liquor "carry out."

Oh my goodness. I seriously cannot remember the last time I ate such a fine meal! We went to Brewer's Art. I ate the Peppadew Pepper Polenta. It was: Miss Cathy's Mozzarella (cheese made-in-house), Local Farm Ratatouille (fresh zukes, squashes and greens), Cherry Tomato Coulis, Parmesan Cream, sprinkled with some endive lettuce and fresh baguette on the side. To drink I got the made-in-house, Brewer's Art "Wit Trash" Belgian Ale. It was light wheat beer with hints of coriander and lemon peel. Really, on the train ride home I tried my hardest to remember my last comparable meal and couldn't think of one!

All this fine dining made me search around for new places to try back in Denver. I came up with two. Both are pricey, but I truly would rather give up all crappy $10 sandwiches and $2 coffees that I could make myself to save up for a delicious, real meal. One is Fruition and the other is Root Down. I have been by Fruition a million times, but the Root Down place looks amazing and I can't believe I've never heard of it before. Here's what their website says:

We want the food at Root Down to be sensational—that is, igniting all the senses to create a full dining experience. Following a “field to fork” mentality, we prefer to stay as organic, natural and local as possible. Root Down serves “globally influenced seasonal cuisine,” which basically means we go where inspiration leads us. We’re not tied to one style or genre—we’re hoping to create one of our own.

----
Saturday:
101 degrees and 71% humidity today

I went to visit Grandma and was dripping wet for hours. I'm pretty sure I smelled, too. Fortunately for all involved, one can't smell oneself and Grandmas can't smell anything.

When I got home, I immediately stripped to my underwear and have not been able to force myself either to put more clothes on or to leave the A.C. I set it at about 79 or 80, which feels heavenly, these days.

An aside: I am feeling guilty for not carrying around my camera and posting snazzy photos for my bloggie. I know everyone loves looking at photos. The guilt is manifesting itself in this post with lots of links to other sites. You know, to make up for the lack of photos on my website, you can see photos on other people's websites. Pretty ingenious of me, no?

Things to gnaw on

A few thoughts I've had and been meaning to post lately.

1. Why do I automatically think taller people are older than I am?

2. As D.C. actually has tall buildings, I ride elevators more than I do in Denver. Call me old fashioned, but I just think it's the nicest thing when gentlemen let me on and off the elevator first. I know, not so rah-rah feminist of me, but, plain and simple, it makes me feel like a lady.

3. Israeli Couscous is so yummy. Great texture. Quick to cook. Good hot or cold. I love it.

4. I really do hate summer. I try to like it every year, but I just don't. I hate being hot. I hate humidity. I hate when my clothes feel tight and stick to me. I sweat a lot. I don't feel like going outside. I don't feel like moving (let alone working out). I just don't like summer. The only thing summer has going for it is long days of sunlight. Fortunately for me, fall is my favorite season, with winter a close second, and that's what's coming up next!

My Sunday of nothing

The weather has really been slowing me down lately. It has been humid, hot and sunny. The sky is always hazy with humidity. I feel like the world around me is fine, while I disgustingly sweat away. I get cranky. I get tired. I get sleepy. I'm starting to feel like summer days are dragging on...

I had dinner tonight at a friend of a friend's just down the street. I didn't realize it would be a formal, long, sit-down meal at the outdoor table in a back alley way with ivy crawling up the brick wall I was truly given a treat (albeit, unexpected and with no paper-writing :( ). The deliciousness:

5 different cheeses with baguette for apps
potato salad
tabbouleh
salad (avocado, sugar peas, tomato, baby spinach) + dressing
marinated swordfish steak cooked on the grill
green and white asparagus cooked on the grill
wasabi mashed potatoes
homemade strawberry pie and vanilla hagen daz's ice cream
sparkling water, red wine, white wine

Oh my goodness, I am stuffed! I thought it was a big, casual BBQ where I would show up late and leave early...wow.

My Saturday of nothing

Okay, the bread recipe was just okay. I mean, it tasted good and all, but it wasn't what I expected. A little dry. Not too much texture. I'm going to try a few things differently next time (probably when I'm back in Denver because now I have so much bread to eat!). Changes include:

Dates instead of raisins.
Whole wheat flour and 7-grain mix instead of white flour.

...

Just got back into D.C. from Baltimore. Baltimore is cool! Why didn't anyone ever tell me that before? It's weird to think how my grandparents grew up there, my mom grew up there for awhile and went to college there. Even with such a strong family connection, I've only been there twice in my life, and both times were this summer.

There's something real about Baltimore. Everyone's got their own style thing going on. People wear what they want to wear, not the style that's shown in the window. I talked for an hour with a Baltimore native on the train from D.C. after I commented on his beautiful flowers. He was bringing them to his fiance. He was a huge black guy, probably about my age, who worked as a policeman and was beyond excited to tell me about how he had proposed to his girlfriend of four years last weekend. I was touched by how much it seemed like he loved her.

In Baltimore, people set up tables and with handmade signs on the steps outside their homes to make a quick buck: "Mini Chicken Box $1.99" or "Ice cold water $2." There are flashing blue lights to indicate bad drug corners and broken bottles on the sidewalks. There are stunning old buildings that have been renovated. There are stunning old buildings that have been left to their demise. I saw a bumper sticker in the window that said, "B-more against war." I loved that. It's a pun-y, bold statement and shows people care. There are farmers markets abound. Some streets sparkle from the broken blue and green glass that has been melted into the pavement and smoothed down over the years. Baltimore's gritty and lots of work needs to be done. But people seem to love the city even more for it. I'm pretty impressed.

I was visiting a friend who, incidentally, was house sitting a beautiful house with a pool and ridiculous kitchen. We hit up Artscape. Artscape is America's largest free arts festival. Lots of crafts, graphic tee-shirts, art, music, bad-for-you-but-tastes-good food. It was really nice vibe there (buena onda, como se dice) but so, so very hot. I bought a pretty mug. It's big, has a nice handle, lots of blues and greens in the glaze and a nice non-smooth texture to the touch. It looks just like the one in the middle of the first picture on the artists' website. I've been looking for a new perfect-coffee-mug for months now, so I hope this one lives up to the potential I saw in it.

I'm pooped. It's not dark yet and it's only 8:00 p.m., but I'm in bed. I plan to do some work on my paper and then crash. Hard.

Cardamom Raisin Bread

I used to buy this Honey Date Walnut bread at Whole Foods in Denver that was just delicious. Really, it was the reason I got out of bed in the morning all winter long. But, apparently it was just a seasonal bread and they stopped making it. Since then, I've been on the quest for the perfect bread for my morning toast --

WANTED: Bread. A little sweet, but not too sweet. A little spice, but not enough that you can tell what's in there. Lots of texture and grains. Must go well with butter, honey, nut butters, and jam. Inquire within.

I've given up trying to find a loaf like this, especially for cheap, and now I've moved on to finding recipes to bake my own bread. Or, perhaps better said, I've taken to manipulating recipes I've found. My newest stab at the perfect morning bread. It's baking now. Review will be posted soon.

Cardamom Raisin Bread

1 Tablespoon dry activated yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1/2 cup + 1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 cup skim milk

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 t salt

3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
pinch of ground cloves
smidge of ginger powder

4 1/2 cup flour (or whole wheat flour)

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup raisins

Mix yeast, warm water, and 1/2 teaspoon sugar until yeast dissolves. Set aside. Heat milk in a saucepan over low heat until small bubbles appear along the edges. Cool slightly. Add beaten eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, salt, cardamom, and 3 cups flour. Beat well. Add butter, beat well. Add yeast mixture. Add remaining flour in three additions. Add raisins. Mix well. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic (~10 min). Place dough in an oiled bowl. Cover and let double (~1 hour). Punch down and let rise again until doubled (~45 min). Divide the dough in half. From each half, roll three ropes 12-18 inches. Braid the ropes into two loaves. Place on a greased baking sheet. Let rise until doubled (~1 hour). Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake 25 minutes, or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Recap

Wednesday:

Had a good workout at the gym.
Got internet fixed.
Wrapping up a few projects at work.
Made delicious dinner with brown rice, goat cheese, cumin and pinto beans.
Walked to Trader Joe's - hurrah! Love that place. So many tempting treats!

Of note --

I saw someone (long beard, unshowered) shoplifting from Trader Joe's. He was taking one thing at a time and collecting it all in a pile outside near his backpack. After he unloaded whatever it was he took by stuffing into his shirt, he would go back into the store for something else. I decided if I noticed, the Trader Joe's people probably did, too. And, if they didn't notice, I was banking on the fact that he probably needed that food more than Trader Joe's needed it. I felt badly that he had to do that, though.

I was writing in English about a Mexican guy who had his B.A., M.A. and Doctorate in "Ciencias Penales" meaning, legal punishment system like criminal penalties. Unfortunately for me, that doesn't translate so well to say he was an expert in penal sciences. Penal, as in...you get what I'm saying.

I took a long way home walking from work yesterday. I was hoping to get a snack from a Chinese bakery in Chinatown, but I couldn't find any bakeries! Advice?

Made it through

Monday.

What a doozy.

My brain is pretty mushy right now, but I wanted to reflect on something (anything). Stagnant blogs are boring.

I went to a cool cafe here in Denver last weekend. Illegal Grounds. They had H&H bagels (!), good egg and cheese, Italian Illy coffee, empanadas and quiches. De-licious. Good atmosphere with open space, comfy chairs and couches. Free wireless. A friend and I sat, shared food, chatted and watched the snow fall before getting some homework done. The owner is a Peruvian-Jew! How crazy is that? It made me so happy that - for once - he didn't think my Spanish accent was from Spain. He knew exactly where I learned Spanish, "Ah! Tu hablas como los serranos!" You speak like the mountain people! My friend and I are going back sometime for some homemade ceviche. Mmmm! Buena onda...

Anyway, a quick update, but better than nothing. Off to bed for me, snow falling softly through the street lights.

Weekend recap

I let the bloggie slip for a week. Opa! Here are a few highlights from this past weekend:

1. The perfect bite? I met a friend for lunch at the Hornet, a restaurant just a few blocks away that I had never been to before. I pass it every time I take the bus, so I've been curious about it for awhile. I got an Ahi tuna wrap sandwich with some mango salsa and avocado all mushed in there. It came with sweet potato fries, too. Pretty delicious.

2. I went out Saturday night for a friend's surprise party organized by her husband. It made me so happy to see her so thrilled. She really was surprised and kept saying, "I can't believe you all came here just for me. Thank you so much for coming!" Adorable.

3. Face it or not (ahem, anyone remember Birthright trip 2008?), I actually got a little tipsy on Saturday night! Perhaps it was the fact that I started off by getting a FREE cocktail? Or the fact that I got myself second one, or maybe it was the next two drinks? Ha! I was just having a good time, totally in control, but relaxing a bit more than usual. I ended the night perfectly by taking a cab home and having a really nice conversation in Spanish with my Cuban driver. Seriously, I always get the coolest cab drivers!

4. Driving home from the grocery store I saw my friend walking her dog! I honked, waved and pulled over. With groceries still in the car, I parked and went for a walk with her and her dog, Max. Moments and happen-upons like that make me feel like I'm starting to have a community here, learn Denver, and connect with good people.

At long last

Quick update:

Philly was fabulous. I love it there. I went to campus and the button, walked by Clark Park farmer's market, ate Ethiopian food, saw my bestest of friends, played with little O., walked around campus, got a new comfy Penn sweatshirt.

Marathon - PR!! WOOOoooo! I finished in 3:10. More on that in another post. I was just so happy, felt stronger (mentally and physically) than I had in other marathons and had an awesome time. I was extremely sore for 2 1/2 days and then life got better.

D.C. was pretty good. Saw the lovely E. for tea at a beautiful little shop with nice wood floors and tables upstairs. Then, got to A. & S.'s place, which was awesome. Such a nice neighborhood, I thought I was walking in the wrong direction because I didn't believe they could live in such a grown-up, nice neighborhood. A. made a delicious dinner, which we enjoyed while visiting with our friends S. and G. (Soooo many couples!). Broken escalator at Dupont circle was my worst nightmare, give post-marathon soreness. Next day I spent with A., visiting her apartment, walking around the mall, work at a cafe and then dinner at good Thai. We baked a little to bring with her for Thanksgiving to M.'s family in Jersey. Finished the day watching an episode of The Office and collapsed into bed.

Wednesday - at long last - saw the family!! Walked a mile down to the Nat'l Geo Museum and waited in a cafe until family trickled in. We went to the Terra Cotta Warriors exhibit (didn't compare to Incans!) and saw a photo exhibit, too. Walked by the White House, had lunch in the old post office building and then Nat'l Gallery of Art. People peeled off in their own directions and baby brother L. and I walked down to the capital building. Sat there and watched the sun set, then got a snack and took the Metro out to 'burbs. Made Cheesecake & watched a movie.

Thanksgiving - hung around, had the meal at cousin's house. Pretty good food, but skimpy on the vegetables and no stuffing! Watched Brother's Bloom with L. that night.

Friday - unveiling. Spent the morning with grandma, went to the cemetery for the unveiling. It was nice, a little sad, but mostly just a nice family gathering. Bummed around at Aunt's house eating without being hungry and talking to sibs.

Saturday ended up being flying back, getting a new phone because the old one died and going to the grocery store. Welcome back to Denver. :/ Miss the fam. already. :(

Back to studying for me...4 finals, 1 paper and 1 presentation before it's over and I go home to play with D.

Weekend recap

Well! A boring old weekend. I'm not complaining, sometimes it's nice to lounge around and pick my way through the massive amount of work.

Friday night I decided to make macaroni and cheese from scratch. We never had this growing up because Dad couldn't have milk. At best, we begged for the Kraft box of toxic orange, fake cheesiness. Sigh. We didn't even know what we were missing. Anyway, I got a recipe off NYTimes and this Mac & Cheese was not kidding around. Tons of Gruyere and Cheddar, homemade croutons on top. Etc. I had to freeze a ton and give some away to my friend so I won't drop dead of a heart attack in two days. After that, I finished the home-body's night by going on a cleaning rampage. I feel much better. It's nice to have a clean place when you go away. It's even nicer to have a clean place when you come back. It also seems to help me with studying.

Saturday I slept in because I felt a little sickie. I ran mid-morning (City Park Loop), did some work, and got my haircut. I confirmed that I love this place, Allure. It was time: I could see the split ends and I wasn't even trying! Anyway, no one will notice, but I'm happy it's not so raggedy after the whole summer and fall of running in the sun. This place is just a few blocks away so I can walk. They also have lemon water and cookies while you're waiting (didn't try) and Michelle is super friendly. None of that awkward silence or painful chit chat that makes me hate going usually. And, it's cheap! I skyped Dinta Bint and then (hurrah!) finished my urban planning law paper. I'll write about that in another post, but I wrote about a housing policy in Santiago, Chile. I thought it was pretty interesting. I walked to Cafe Europa in the early evening with some Federal Indian Law reading. I didn't stay too long, though, because soon after I got there, the new art show had its reception and people were staring at me because I was sitting next to the wall with the art. I was there first, people! No fair! They have pretty good lemon mango tea with real chunks of mango in it. Then I had a long phone chat with my high school friend. Walked home in the beginnings of snow.

Sunday - Ha! Woke up to a good 6 inches of snow and still coming. Went running with JB for 45 min, slogging through the snow. It was pretty, though! Didn't see many (any?) other runners. We also ran pretty much down the middle of the road, even Speer Blvd! Spent the day doing work and bumming around my apartment. Lame.

Here goes - 1 week until classes are over, Philly marathon, going back East to see everyone!

Keeping calm and carry on...

Dinner Party

I went to a dinner party last night and the menu was memorable. Everything was made from scratch (except the pasta in the lasagna):

White wine

Roquefort cheese souffle appetizer

Beets, Shallots and Avocado salad with a citrus dressing
Caramelized onion lasagna
Baked Calamari

Apple Pie

Denver, minus one

So, I finished class at 7:15 and headed to the library to finish some reading. I know, pretty cool on Thursday night. I left the library around nine, got work for the weekend (so I don't have to go back to that building) and walked to my car with a friend (a friend!). From here it gets worse. No food in my refrigerator, and I am too pooped to go shopping and cook. I went to 4 places, drove all over the place just trying to get dinner. Everything in this "city" closes so early! 9:00 p.m. and I can't find dinner anywhere. Of course, bars are open with hamburgers and stuff, but I don't eat meat or want that crap for dinner. Sigh. Seriously, I gave up and was going to order from this really bad Chinese food place near me. I pulled around, was backing up to parallel park and someone behind me pulled into the spot. That was the last I could stand. I actually said aloud to myself, " I just want to eat dinner! Is that too much to ask? I hate it here!" Tears welled up (okay, overreaction, I know). It's all so pathetic- I have to stay at school until 9 p.m. I can't find an open place to get a measly bite to eat. I don't have anyone to eat with, anyway. And, I probably shouldn't spend money on eating out.

Just forget it. I'm going to bed.

Cookie Monster

Grandma Marion's Thimble Cookies

1/2 lb butter
2/3 c. sugar
2 egg yolks
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
jam



Cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolks. Add flour sifted with baking powder and salt. Blend well. Form into balls. Make a depression with your thumb. Fill the depressions with raspberry or other thick jam. Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes (or until they look done).




Yum! These literally take 15 minutes total - preparation, cooking and eating :) I cut the recipe in half because it is just me eating all these cookies and I still have a whole bag full that could last me 2 weeks! I made raspberry and apricot. I have milk. And tea. And a table and chairs (finally). Alas, I have no one to whom I can feed cookies!

I have begun my life-long Grandma Marion training. You could call her as you're pulling into her driveway to announce that you are coming for a visit and she always - always - has a fresh-baked something waiting for you.

Goodbye August

I can't believe tomorrow is September 1. Of 2009. I don't have much to say about it, except that I just can't believe how the months are slipping by. We're coming into my favorite season - fall! It's not quite the same here without foliage, cool and crisp fall days with strong breeze off the ocean, apple-picking and (soon after) apple cobbler-baking. I'm still excited, though. It's already chilly in the mornings and there's just something invigorating about fall. I love it.

Here are some things I'm working on these next few months:

- taking my daily vitamin
- sleeping more (and not feeling guilty about it)
- read a little of a novel before sleeping each night
- keep focus and efficiency in studying
- make it to trails or the mountains at least 1x every other week
- re-do my resume and begin the internship summer 2010 search.
- cook dinner and make my own coffee (I've been pretty good about this since July)

(fun list)
- pick a pumpkin and carve it
- roast the pumpkin seeds
- make soups and delicious bread to go with it
- go to the Alliance Francaise happy hour French wine and cheese nights
- go to Symphony (The Colorado Symphony Orchestra is starting up soon!)
- do art (find an art class?)
- go to Buddhist meetings (for clarity, simplicity, wisdom and self-awareness)
- drive my car less

See? Won't fall be fun? More to come ... Rabbit rabbit!

is it Thanksgiving yet?

I bought my flight to D.C. for Thanksgiving today. Hurrah! Can I go there now? Can I eat mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie yet? Can I play with Momster, Bellie-button, Giliga and other characters?

Sigh. I think I have a long way to go before then, but at least I know I'll be with the Goldens (and Steiners, Prices and Zapatas!) this year. The plan:

Friday 11/20 - Fly to Philly
Sunday 11/22 - Run Philly Marathon (I officially registered today!)
Monday 11/23 - Bus to D.C.
Saturday 11/28 - Back to Denver.

Weekend activities

Last night I happened upon a cool bike event in Denver. It was some sort of 10 mile midnight bike ride through Denver. First went the family wave, then the youngin' 20-30s people. Thousands and thousands of people. We sat there for about 2ish hours and people just kept coming along. Man, I didn't even have my bike because I didn't know it was going on! People were in costumes and bikes all dressed up with glow-lights and costumes. I especially like the dancing banana and have to admit I laughed at the cut-out derierre of some dude's boxers. There was also a pink bus with a band on top jammin' away, tuba and all. Crazy! These pictures do NOT do it justice, but, check it out.





Today I headed up for a trail run in Nederland where it was quite dusty and hot. I'm back now, vacuuming, cleaning, and baking. Blueberries were 1 pint for $1 at the store so I bought a bunch. I just baked blueberry scones to have for breakfast this week.


Breakfast will be served at ~6:10, after the run and before biking down to 7:00 a.m. yoga class. Drop ins welcome.