Veggie Deficiency

Since returning to school after Thanksgiving, I have not gone grocery shopping once. This abstention from groceries was a combination between being broke, challenging my inner culinary genius, and not wanting to have a bunch of food to bring back home over winter break. That bean soup that I made not too long ago lasted me for a whole week. Not only is it a filling dish, but combined with rice, this meal constitutes a complete protein, so I'm still getting all of my essential amino acids.

While I've made due with what's in the cupboards, the refrigerator is devoid of anything green or healthy. The closest I could get was a jar of organic salsa that I have been rationing by the spoonful. It mixes well with rice and tastes like a deconstructed (slightly lame) burrito. The salsa even spices up an ordinary can of tuna, which sounds strange, but by golly it is tasty! I used it in place of lemon juice to give the tuna a nice tanginess and unique flavor.

 Last night a very dear friend came over and we cooked a tasty dinner as a way of saying goodbye before he heads off to Australia next semester. We planned to make stir-fry and I supplied the rice because it was one of the few ingredients I had on hand. He brought over a bag of frozen veggies and the eggs. After taking the first hungry bite, the satisfying crunch of carrots and broccoli had never been so delightful. After weeks surviving on a Christmas cookie based diet, a mouthful of veggies was the ultimate treat. Am I proud of the fact that I have been eating like a savage these past few weeks? Not really. But what's going to be left in the cupboards when I leave? Not much, and I'm pretty proud of that.

Running in the Rain in the Dark

It sounds like a dumb idea, and really, that's because it is. There is something truly invigorating about running in the rain. The heavier the rainfall, the harder I find myself running, almost as if in defiance of the unfortunate weather. I wouldn't let a pair of soggy shoes stop me from enjoying the outdoors. The glowing Christmas lights that illuminated the streets with a soft, comforting luminescence made it all the more enjoyable.

Slowing to a walk after this evening's jog, I took in the sensations of a warm body immersed in the cold, wet rain. I could feel the warmth from my eyelids as they opened and closed. It was a new sensation that I had not experienced before this evening. Filling my lungs with the cool night air was like taking a long drink of ice cold water. Although I will be getting ready for bed shortly, I feel mentally and physically restored. Returning to the house and abandoning the wet sidewalks and rain puddles, my humble abode seems even cozier than usual. The perfect start to a relaxing, good night's sleep.

Squid Brain

Lately, my mind seems to be occupied with thoughts related to killer squid and octopus species. Last night for example, I dreamt that a man-eating octopus was terrorizing a few unlucky students on campus who mistakenly walked within reach of its slimy, muscular arms. I vividly remember sitting in a computer lab with my Writing for Environmental Professionals class. Usually when other people are in my dreams, their faces are nondescript, flesh toned blobs. This time, I could clearly recognize my actual professor for this class, along with several of my student peers.

The building housing this computer lab was very different from any building on my actual school campus. It was similar to a skyscraper, although the computer lab was only a few floors up from ground level. The room was rectangular in shape, with a large window facing out onto the ocean. The beach backed up right to the edge of the building. My peers and I had all flocked to the large window to investigate the blood curdling sounds of a person's screams. We were horrified when we peered down at the beach to glimpse a wriggling purple blob of tentacles and human appendages as the octopus devoured it's human victim.

It is curious that it should be a purple octopus in my dream, because it is the exact tattoo soon to be emblazoned on my sister's upper arm. It's an absolutely gorgeous piece of artwork, though much larger than I would ever consider for myself. I also recently watched the first installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring. There is a particularly frightening scene taking place next to a lake outside the mines of Moria. It is in this lake that the Watcher in the Water lurks, waiting to take on any foes that cross its path. This scene always gets my spine shivering.

The octopus is a very admirable, highly intelligent creature. I am relieved that as far as we know, human flesh is not a part of any octopod diet. Apparently this is an irrational fear I have.

Artist's rendering of the scene from my dream

My sister's scary arm. It reminds me of my
nightmare now. Will it be more or less scary
when the purple is colored in?
[Photo courtesy of Dylan Tate]

Artist's illustration of the Watcher in the Water
[http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media
/2008/11/john_howe_-_watcher_in_the_water-sms-1108.jpg]

Leguminous Soup

I love soup. Especially bean soup. My favorite is lentil soup. Soup soup soup. Today it's snowing outside and you know what the perfect remedy for that is? Soup! I'm not using a recipe. Recipes are for squares and people who like to read. Actually I love to read, but now is not the time. Going recipe-free also means if I mess up, there is no one to blame but myself. Kind of like when you live alone and your tupperware goes missing but you can't blame your roommate for misplacing it.

Today I'm using three kinds of beans: kidney beans, black beans and those lens shaped beans called lentils. I started by fast-soaking the kidney and black beans. I did this by adding 1/2 pound of each kind to a pot of hot water and boiled them for two minutes. Then I turned off the heat and let them sit and think about their problems for an hour.

Came back to the kitchen an hour later and saw that the kidney and black beans had solved all the world's problems. Not really. They're just getting closer to being part of a delicious bean fusion. I drained and rinsed the beans and let them sit in the colander while I prepped the cooking pot. First I poured in a splash of olive oil, heated it up a bit, and then tossed in about four cloves of minced garlic. I let the garlic simmer for a minute before adding some water. Then I added the kidney and black beans, along with half a pound of green lentils. I added enough water so that the beans had a bit of swimming room. This is the part where I hypothesized that I may not be using a big enough pot, but it was the biggest pot in the house, and it was too late to go back now...

Next I added a sprinkling of each of the following: turmeric, garlic powder (just for good measure), chili powder, celery seed, oregano, and a bay leaf. Some of these spices I happened to have after my pickling endeavor earlier in the year. Were it not for that, there would have been a great deal fewer spices in this recipe. Why add all of these spices in the first place? I figure the more spices I add, the more chances there are for this bean soup to reach a state of deliciousness.

Boilin' away

Unknown amount of time passes...

After several stirrings and bean tenderness tests, the beans became mostly tender to the teeth, and I released the cooking pot from the blaze. The kidney beans and green lentils cooked faster than the black beans, and I chose to enjoy the soup with a slightly chewier black bean rather than over-cooking the other two bean types. Forming a leguminous mush was not part of the no-recipe plan.

A quick taste of the soup revealed a flavorful bite of beans fit for eating. I had boiled up a batch of a wild rice blend to pour the bean soup over, and the two components paired together nicely. It was a fabulous dish on a college kid budget, and perfect on a chilly December day. You really should have come over for dinner.

Soup's on! And look at how wild that rice looks

The soup in its final form

Sneaky Sparrows

You would never guess it, but sparrows can make for a terrifying encounter if you catch them off guard. At least I think they were sparrows. They were small and brown, and normally very cute, except for the day when they became terrifying. I remember clearly walking down the short flight of steps to the left of Moon Library. I was briskly walking toward Baker Laboratory, travelling just fast enough to look like a loser in a hurry to be an hour early for the nerd convention. On the right hand side of the landing between two short sets of stairs, there is a lovely congregation of young trees growing harmlessly behind a perfectly nice wooden bench. I often gaze in that direction when  there is no one walking towards me to smile at as they stare straight ahead, eyes glazed over, trudging along as if no one else in the world exists. As I passed the landing on this particular day, I heard a sudden WOOSH that sounded just like a giant wave crashing against a sandy beach. It was so loud, I almost took my own shoes off so I could knock my socks off. There must have been at least one-hundred tiny little birds minding their own business on the dirt surface before I came along. In perfect unison every single bird rushed to the safety of the young tree branches. They were probably terrified of my ridiculous speed walking, but they sure as hell scared the shit out of me. The best part is, these birds blend in so well to the ground cover and the trees, that even standing just a few feet away, they were barely visible. The one guy walking towards me up the stairs probably thought I was a schizophrenic nut case as I wheeled around in panic to analyze the explosion of sound.

Believe it or not, there are a bunch of
tiny brown birds littering the ground

Close to Christmas at Clinton Square

Paying a few dollars to try to not fall on your butt for a couple hours is a yearly holiday tradition for many. I am of course referring to the dangerous sport of ice skating, as it is one of my favorite holiday festivities. Clinton Square, in the city of Syracuse, boasts an enormous live Christmas tree decked out in lights at the east end of the rink. My dendrological studies led me to believe the tree is a Norway Spruce, and my prediction was correct! See mom, I am learning things in school. The Clinton Square Ice Rink is  surrounded by a lovely assortment of holiday lights, casting an enchanting, colorful glow on the ice after the zamboni works its magic.

The rink is aglow with holiday spirit!

The Fabulous Female Drummer

Miss Viola Smith is the name. Performing as a female drummer in the 1930's is the game. In a time when the jazz scene was dominated by man, this bubbly young female took center stage, showing off her skills at tapping a beat. It sure is nifty to see a woman doing something that is historically improper or unsuitable for the time period. Take a look at Miss Viola Smith performing with jazz ensemble, the Coquettes. In this video she is doin' her thing, jamming with the Kit Kat Band. In both instances Miss Smith is performing alongside all-female company, which is pretty remarkable for the time period. Who knew women were any good at anything back then!

The one and only Miss Viola Smith behind the drums