A currant affair

I've been fairly industrious lately in the kitchen--at least when it comes to making up new things to eat.

I've had a clamshell of red currants in the fridge for over a week. I couldn't think of much to do with them--I tried mixing them in with blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and milk to make a berry smoothie one day. (That came out OK, but currants have these little nubbins--yes, highly scientific--on them that come out crunchy in liquids.)

The other day I decided I would try them with some French vanilla ice cream.

My presentation wasn't pretty, but the dish was pretty darn good.

I put about an eighth of a cup of currants into the bottom of the bowl. I drizzled 1.5 tablespoons of Nutella over them. Then I put a cup of ice cream on top of the Nutella. I mixed the ice cream around so the berries and Nutella were on top, and dug in.

The flavor was tangy, sweet and chocolatey all at once--rich and refreshing.

Once again this week, I am successful in the kitchen!

The fat tax

My boyfriend and I were debating whether or not banning trans-fats from restaurants and banning fast food restaurants from poor areas of town are bad ideas.

I said they are bad ideas, he said they're not--he opposes all bans, even on drugs (which I have to agree with--for some things, if people can't have it, they want it more. Just see how many American teens drink underage if you want an example.)

But as far as food goes, I believe there are some things Americans eat that just shouldn't be allowed on the market. Ever. Like trans fats and fast foods, refined sugars and processed foods (although I do enjoy a good slice of Velveeta every now and again).

So when I read an article yesterday about France considering a tax on fatty foods, I naturally agreed with the idea. It's not a ban, but it prevents poor people from being forced into obesity because they can't afford healthier foods.

You see, fast foods are cheap. They are quick and easy to get. Low-income areas are rife with fast food restaurants and convenience stores. I've heard several stories on NPR in which experts said the reason so many poor people are overweight is because (a) they can't afford many healthier products, (b) they work many hours, often more than one job to support their families, and don't have time to cook nutritious, balanced meals, and (c) fast food restaurants prey on low-income areas because of the cheap, quick and easy factors.

Obviously this isn't the whole story, but it's a pretty good argument for banning fast food restaurants. But if you're not into bans, a fatty-food tax seems like the way to go.

Sure, it would mean low-income families have to plan menus, shop accordingly and take the time to cook. But in the long run they won't have to pay for the side-effects of eating so much fatty and fast food (i.e. the stigma that goes with being obese and the cost of health problems associated with obesity).

I'm sure it's not a perfect solution, but something's gotta give.

Another pita possibility

If you thought one pita recipe this week was plenty, tough.

This pocketless pita bread is proving endlessly versatile (OK, two recipes isn't endless, but still).

Well, I tried something new today--a pizza recipe.

"Didn't you just have pizza yesterday?" my boyfriend asked when I told him about it.

"No," I said. "That was different."

Well, it was. The last recipe was all veggies and dressing. Yesterday's recipe was all pizza sauce and cheesy goodness.

So, I took a "loaf" of pita bread (basically, one piece) and spread my Trader Joe's pizza sauce all over it. I could have used my special spicy pasta sauce instead, but I knew my boyfriend would frown at the idea of using pasta sauce on a pizza. Then, I covered the sauce in a thin layer of cheddar that I grated myself.

To add the finishing touches, I sliced some cigiellegne (baby mozzarella balls) and arranged them on top of the pizza. I popped the whole thing into the oven for four minutes at 450 degrees (the oven was partially pre-heated), and it was perfect.

Total yum. I recommend you try it.

How to drive your dog batty

If you want to make your dog feel helpless and frustrated, give him a Kong toy.

When I first got Bijou, I bought her a Kong toy. I figured, all dogs love these. She ignored it. So I took back to the store, happy to have $9 in my wallet again.

Then I took her to my parents' house a few months ago. She absolutely loved the Kong toy there--bouncing it around, trying to lick peanut butter out of it.

After discovering her love of tennis balls, I soon decided it would be a good idea to get her another Kong toy.

So I went to Petsmart on Sunday and shelled out the money for it again. I took it home, washed it. Put one of their free treats in it, and threw the toy at her. The treat fell out. She ate it. Started sniffing the toy, licking it. I put the other treat in the toy and set it down. Then she started to get excited. It didn't take her long to get the second toy out, because it was smaller than the opening.

So I put some chicken jerky (for dogs) into the toy. For half an hour (at least) she was frantically running around the house, clawing at the toy and chewing on it. She would sit down, stand up, sit down, stand up, run from one side of the house to the next. She was so frustrated she couldn't sit still. She wouldn't let me touch the toy because she was so intent on getting it out herself.

And how did the last bit of jerky come out? Much to her dismay, as she turned the corner--running frantically from one room into the next--the jerky flew out and she was left with an empty toy. So she had to sniff the entire house to make sure this hadn't already happened without her knowledge.

Sure, it kept her entertained and busy, constantly working. But she might have had a nervous breakdown if she hadn't succeeded in getting the jerky out when she did.

I think she can handle it, though.

A pita concoction

I had this strange urge to buy pita bread at the grocery store this weekend. I haven't purchased pita bread in years, much less pocketless pita bread.

But it sounded good, wasn't too expensive, and had some recipes on the back.

One of those recipes mentioned vegetables. Without even reading the recipe, I thought up my own.

I slathered the top of the pita bread in ranch dressing, just like you'd do with regular pizza sauce. Then, I diced some tomatoes and cucumbers, and layered them on top of the bread.

You could also do this by spreading cream cheese on the bread instead of dressing, or not spreading anything and drizzling the whole thing with olive oil and spices.

It looked yummy. I just bit into it, and for the first few bites, things were going well.

Then veggies started sliding off the top, so I had to get out a fork and knife. If you're not the kind of person who likes to eat pizza and burgers with a fork and knife, you should probably just cut this dish into slivers or slices with a pizza cutter before serving it. But if you're like me, a fork and knife'll do ya right.

It's not a hugely hearty meal, but it was refreshing after coming inside from the heat, and certainly healthy.

Amazing ice cream!

I just had the most delicious ice cream sandwich ever.

Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches are good, yes. That goes without saying. I love getting a 24-pack of them in vanilla and chocolate from Costco and then subsisting off of them for a few days (I do eat regular meals, too).

The mint flavored ones were on sale at the grocery store (Fry's/Kroger) two weeks ago, so I bought a pack. There are only six in there, but I figured that would be a good amount to try.

I waited until today to try one. And I died and went to heaven after the first bite.

Mercy, these things are good!

Food for thought

As I consider potentially shifting topics for this blog, I'd like to talk about (you guessed it) food.

My boyfriend and I ate at Pei Wei tonight.

That's not terribly exciting, nor is it uncommon. We eat there a couple of times a year. It's college food.

I tried the honey seared dish with vegetables and tofu.

"Gee," I thought to myself as I scanned the menu for interesting vegetarian food. "I haven't had that one there in a while."

I've eaten the blazing noodles every time we went to Pei Wei for the last year. I've never tried any of the other vegetarian dishes. Why? Because I ate the honey seared every time we went before that, since I moved into my dorm in August 2004 and my uncle took me to lunch at Pei Wei for the first time ever.

It hit me after I'd finished what I decided was an overly sweet and filling meal.

I've only tried something new there once.

And I do this everywhere. I find something I like and stick with it. I decide to try something new, and if I like it, I stick with it; if I don't like it, I go back to what I was eating before. Eventually, I switch back to the original favorite, and on it goes. Example: ate ONLY fettuccine alfredo at Olive Garden for 16 years. Started eating only the cannelloni. Became a vegetarian a year later, now only eat the fettuccine again.

It's not because I fear trying new things. In fact, I love trying new foods--provided they taste good and are actually vegetarian, of course (you can't fool me by saying it's vegetarian and smirking as you secretly drench the meal in chicken stock before cooking it--I'll vomit for two days, and I'll know why).

I know I'm not the only person who does this. Many of my high school and undergrad girlfriends did the same thing.

What is this strange comfort zone we fall into, and how do we get there? How do we let ourselves become content with the mundane?

From now on, I'm going to force myself to try new things at restaurants I frequent. You should do the same--I dare you.

Thinking about change

Lately my posts on here have been food-centric. That shouldn't be surprising--I like to cook, I like to eat, and my days at work this summer have revolved around breakfast, lunch and dinner breaks.

But I've also been trying some new restaurants and trying to invent recipes.

So basically, I've had food on the brain.

It's probably not going to subside any time soon.

With that in mind, I'm thinking perhaps it's time to shift the focus of this blog again.

I don't post about fashion much--just occasionally. I don't have many great stories about attacking bread knives this summer (thank god!). I haven't had much to criticize lately--though I'm sure that'll come when school starts again.

Basically, I've been thinking of making this a food blog. Not a strict food blog, but a food blog in the sense that I talk mostly about food, cooking, restaurants and food-related things, and post about fashion, criticism and 20-something adventures whenever the mood (or bread knife) strikes.

Anyone have any thoughts on that one?

A well-dressed man

There's nothing better than a well-dressed man (except for a well-dressed man who's also really sweet and consequently dating you).

To celebrate this idea (which is, sadly, unachievable for many men--especially those on college campuses), I found some nice men's shirts that aren't t-shirts. Because believe me, boys, t-shirts aren't the only kind of shirt available for your sex.

You could do a long-sleeved t-shirt. Sure, they're not your typical screen-printed t, but they're the same material and look nicer. There's nothing wrong with solids.

And you can't go wrong with polo shirts--unless of course they don't fit or you wear them with khakis. The person who first decided a polo shirt paired with khakis looks professional was an idiot.

Argyle can be preppy, but it doesn't have to be. And it also doesn't have to mean sweater vests (which aren't necessarily a bad thing).

Another type of non-t-shirt you can't go wrong with? The long-sleeved button-up shirt. Wear it untucked, tucked-in, layered, with jeans, shorts or dress pants, flip flops, sneakers or dress shoes. This piece is versatile, and you should have many of these. And I don't care what my guy friends say, rolling up your sleeves is not just for gay guys. Straight ones should do it, too.

A polo shirt can be short- or long-sleeved. It doesn't have to always be a warm weather sort of thing.

Most of the shirts I picked were in solid colors. There are several reasons for this: a) they're simple and classy; (b) it's easier to find solid colors that "go" than trying to match patterns and prints; (c) you can dress them up or down; (d) they're easier to layer.

And just because a shirt isn't a regular old t-shirt doesn't mean it won't be comfortable. Everyone complains about comfort--men and women alike--and it's just a reason to make excuses. If clothing fits, it will be comfortable. And that's that.

Career Quiz

I already know what I want to be when I grow up--and yes, I'm practically grown up--but I decided to take a career quiz this morning, anyway.

For anyone who's planning to enroll in a degree program, the Princeton Review Web site has some nifty tools. Not only does the Review offer test-taking help for the GRE, MCAT, LSAT, etc., it also offers tools to find the best colleges, career paths and majors--just in case you're not sure.

Usually when I take these career tests, the results are mediocre and don't describe me all that well--I mean, how can they? They're just tests with set answers.

This one from the Review did quite well.

It said my interest color and usual style are blue, meaning I like to work quietly with as little human contact as possible, but still be supportive to others, and that I'm creative, humanistic and thoughtful. In the real world, that means I'd make a good journalist, editor, professor, writer or PR lady--all of which I've either done (PR and journalism) or want to do in the future (professor and writer). A lot of the other careers in the list also appealed to me in a big way.

You can click on each career to learn more about it. While the descriptions aren't exhaustive, they're fairly clear-cut.

So if I'd come across this list five years ago when I was a scrappy young high schooler (OK, not so scrappy. Read: preppy), my head probably would have exploded from the possibilities. And that's OK. Because I didn't know what I wanted to do, other than something that involved writing.

So yeah, the Princeton Review is a useful tool for anyone preparing for a Bachelor's/Master's/PhD in the near future.

Oh, and this stuff online is free.

Country excursion

I took a few German friends to my hometown today for an rural Southwestern experience. We went to the peach festival in Willcox at Apple Annie's Orchard. It wasn't much of a festival, really.

But we picked some peaches--some of the few good ones leftover from the freeze that destroyed 90 percent of the orchard's harvest.

And we bought some pluots they had shipped in from California.

After pining over the apple bread, cheese, pie, cider and fudge in the orchard's country grocery shop and sweating profusely in the buggy, muggy orchard, we decided to have apple smoked burgers at the orchard's Burger Barn.

The price turned me off immediately: $8.99 for a burger, cowboy beans, chips, a drink and pie a la mode. It's just not worth that much to me--the burgers aren't even that big.

But the Germans wanted to give it a try, so we did.

Me being the vegetarian, I had a veggie burger--something they haven't had in previous years.

Although it was thin and very wide, the burger was good. It tasted like it was locally made--I hope it was.

I wasn't able to eat the cowboy beans, since there was pork in them. I got Cheetos instead of chips. And the drink selection wasn't that fantastic--sugary sodas or tiny water bottles. Whatever happened to Apple Annie's fresh apple cider? It was one of the orchard's trademarks in my youth--we went there explicitly to get apple bread and apple cider. And now? No cider.

The pie, of course, was tasty. I got the apple raspberry. Steffi got peach raspberry, though there wasn't much raspberry in it, and Ingo got pecan. Everyone enjoyed their pie, and the huge slab of ice cream a la mode (except Steffi, who forewent the a la mode).

Although there wasn't too much to complain about, I still feel like $8.99 (or $9.94 including tax) is a bit of a ripoff.

I guess that's what you get for eating local foods, though. Not only was the meal expensive, but the produce on the farm is always very expensive.

Which brings us to today's big question: why is locally farmed produce always more expensive than the stuff at the grocery store? It doesn't make any sense, and it defies logic. If you can explain it, be my guest.

An amazing food blog!

A few weeks ago I went through Technorati's Reader's Choice Award list and found a few blogs that looked interesting. I subscribed to the blogs' RSS feeds and the posts have been nestled safely in my Feeds folder on Mozilla ever since.

Since I'm a serious foodie, one of the blogs I subscribed to is Aapplemint, a food blog written by a lady named Kajal who lives in Ghana. Kajal posts the most scrumptious looking food--and most of the time it seems she's come up with the recipes herself!

Not only that, but her food photography is beautiful. Just in case you didn't know, food photography is really difficult.

I went through last night and read all of Kajal's posts since December. She posts recipes, food and travel photos, and anecdotes that make you feel as if you've met her in person. I didn't find a single post that didn't have something interesting in it.

I especially enjoyed her post about a visit to Mumbai--complete with beautiful photos, it really gave a sense of the place to someone who's never been there.

Most of Kajal's recipes are desserts, and they certainly made my mouth water.

Her blogroll also lists a variety of other food blogs. I haven't checked any of them out yet, but I'm sure there are some goodies in there.

All things in moderation

It started as a morning thing. Then an afternoon thing. I said I was done after that.

But there was the next day. And again, a week later. And now, this morning.

You know what I'm talking about. Yeah. Doughnuts.

I'm going to blame my boyfriend for leading me astray on this one--suggesting we have doughnuts for breakfast twice in one week, and then being a sweetheart the next week and surprising me with doughnuts again.

I figured I ate too many doughnuts this week, that I was over them. But then I found one in the kitchen at work this morning. I glanced out the door, grabbed a napkin and took that doughnut and ran. It wasn't like it was someone's doughnut--it was on the table with some cookies, waiting for a digestive system to call home.

No big deal, right?

Well, if you're trying to loose a few pounds it is.

I had four doughnuts on Tuesday. One bavarian cream filled, one lemon-filled, one raspberry-filled and one glazed cake with sprinkles. One was for breakfast, three for lunch. Woman can't live on sugar alone, you know.

But we all splurge a little, right?

That's true. If you deprive yourself of things that aren't as healthy for you, like cakes, cookies or chips (and doughnuts), you end up craving those things more and eventually gorging yourself on them. I don't believe this is the first time I've written that on this blog.

There does come a point, though, when you have to learn a tiny word that can save you the agony of extra pounds and a sugar headache. That word is no.

Of course, I can't say no to a doughnut. But that doesn't mean I couldn't say no to the extra three doughnuts I had for lunch. I only have myself to blame.

Today's moral? All things in moderation. (Just say no!)

But those Donut Wheel doughnuts were damn good!

A good sports story? Ridiculous!

I'm not a huge fan of sports journalism.

Unless the reporter is talking or writing about an athlete I've heard of and care about (of which there are few), I tend not to pay much attention to sports stories.

But one story I heard on NPR last weekend definitely caught my ear.

It was a great take on sports, although I thought at first it was just a piece of ridiculous fluff.

The story is about the Tampa Bay Rays, who've just changed their name from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The columnist starts out by telling the reader the Rays are one of the worst teams in baseball, and that suddenly they've been winning--playing great games.

The story evolves. Rather than going into the ways the team has pulled the rug out from under their competitors, the columnist interviews a Lutheran minister and the head of the Church of Satan to talk about the implications of removing the word "Devil" from the team's name.

Sure, mixing religion and sports in this way can be seen as no-news cotton candy airtime filler. But the more I think about it, the better my outlook on this story becomes.

Not only did it catch my attention, but it kept my attention--and I probably would have switched to another radio station if the story had been a more traditional take on baseball. I've been thinking about the story for a few days--so it was memorable. Plus I've been telling people about the story and sending them the link.

If you're looking to grab listeners/readers, this is a great way to do it.

Give the story a listen if you get a chance.

Passing the torch

I have discovered that it's sometimes difficult to pass the torch to your successor.

Because I'm starting a graduate program in August, I have to leave my job as communications assistant. As my team prepares for this sad event, we are faced with the challenge of hiring a replacement.

Seems easy enough, right?

Well, I've worked here for three years. So I know a lot. And I do a lot. And I've done pretty well, if I do say so myself.

All of the applicants are getting ready to graduate soon, made numerous grammatical mistakes in their resumes, boast about things I doubt are true ("I have an expansive knowledge of...") and just don't seem as fantastic as I do. Aw, shucks.

Maybe it's because I don't really want to leave this job that it's so hard for me to find someone who looks worthy of filling my big shoes. If I wanted to get out of here stat, I might not care so much what my successor is like.

But I have no choice, so we've got to find someone. Luckily my boss makes that decision.

But I do get the opportunity to giggle gleefully at the writing test results when they come in. I designed the test, and I giggle thinking of the mistakes hidden throughout it.

If all the applicants flail around while figuring out how to cut the text from 445 words to 190 and find all the fact, capitalization and grammatical errors, I can't help but continue feeling like whoever succeeds me can't succeed.

But if someone really nails that thing, well, that person can have this job--and I'll feel good about passing the torch.

The classy t-shirt?

When I think of t-shirts, two things come to mind.

A) T-shirts sold in tourist traps, with cheesy sayings and colorful depictions of local architecture
B) Scruffy-looking UA students schlepping to class in their sweats and flip flops (or ugg boots), hair disheveled and the UA or Juicy logo splashed across their rears.

I hate t-shirts with logos or name brands on them. I just don't wear them. Why should I pay to advertise for some company? It's stupid. They should be paying me if they want me wearing their logos so badly.

And it's not about the label, either. Who cares if you're wearing a DKNY shirt? If you have to show off that you're wearing designer, you're begging for attention. And if you ask me, it's the wrong kind of attention. It's like walking into a crowded room with a megaphone and saying, "Hey, I've got money!"

That doesn't mean I don't ever wear t-shirts, or that I only wear plain-colored ones.

I like to wear t-shirts in different plain colors, yes. But they're not all black or gray. I try to have a whole color palette in my closet, and different variations of every shade. Ann Taylor Loft is a great place to get good quality t-shirts in different colors and sleeve lengths. Some of them are also awesome for layering.



Anthropologie also offers good t's, some with nice designs that don't scream anything like, "This shirt was designed by Ralph Lauren for his Polo Line."




If you're slender and have a walletful of cash to spend, Banana Republic also sells really nice t-shirts in plain colors. They're so soft you won't care if there aren't any logos splashed across them.

Today's moral?

There is such a thing as a classy t-shirt.
And the logo is printed on the inside of it.

The early bird gets up early

A momentous event happened this morning.

I got up early.

Indeed: I was up before 8 a.m. I was even awake before 7 a.m. I got out of bed at precisely 7 a.m.

Of course, I couldn't do it alone.

My mom called at 6:07 a.m. My alarm went off at 6:30. My mom called again at 6:32, and stayed on the phone until I could prove I was out of bed. Of course, I promptly got back into bed and cuddled with my dog. But I stayed awake the whole time, decided I'd cuddle Bijou until 6:59, and then I got up.

I was out of the shower by 7:30, when Bijou went nuts because there was knocking at the door. And lo, Ian was there with a box of doughnuts and a nutritious morning Dr. Pepper (his soda, doughnutty goodness for both of us). Mom called again around 8 a.m. to see if I had fallen back to sleep somehow, and I was out walking Bijou when she called. Imagine her surprise when I called back and didn't sound sleepy.

This wouldn't be such a big deal if I hadn't been trying to get up early on a regular basis all summer--and been failing miserably.

I have been chronically late to work this summer, except for maybe one or two days in May. Yesterday I was almost a whole hour late, and it wasn't the first time.

It's not like I want to get up late. I'm actually a morning person--there's something so enjoyable about being up when the day is new. But I also enjoy sleeping. It's not a good combination.

Hopefully I can train myself to get up at 6 a.m. every weekday before the end of the summer. I have no choice--there's a graduate orientation session I have to be at by 8 a.m. the week before classes start. I was still sound asleep in bed at that time yesterday!

Here's to hoping. Wish me luck!

Pros and cons of eating out

As I sit at work, freezing in the Arizona summer air conditioning, I ponder venturing into the squinty, sweaty heat and finding something to eat at a restaurant. Sushi, maybe. Or something from the B-Line.

But I brought a peanut butter and honey to work with me, and cherries and a nectarine.

But sushi...

Just in case you're suffering a similar dilemma, and mostly to give myself reasons to keep my butt in this groovy swivel chair, I'm offering a list of the "pros and cons of eating out." Enjoy.

PROS
1. Don't have to make it yourself
2. Tasty
3. Gets you away from the office
4. Option to try something new
5. Helps the economy

Cons
1. You don't know if the person making it washed his hands first
2. Might not be tasty today as you'd hoped
3. Takes you out into crappy lunch hour traffic
4. Don't really know if the food is vegetarian/kosher/etc.
5. Costs money you should be saving
6. Restaurants are busy at lunchtime
7. Not necessarily healthy

Can't think of anything else. But there are more cons than pros. So stay in the office and eat that sandwich you slaved away making this morning even though you were an hour late to work.

Change is in the air

NPR did a story on "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" on Friday. It's a musical comedy made specially for the Internet.

The show is pretty funny. I'm not big on musicals, but the humor was great and Ian and I watched all three acts.

It was available free on Hulu until last night, but starting today you have to pay $1.99 to download the acts from iTunes.

I think this is a great idea, a step in the right direction for mainstream entertainment. The show went into production around the time of the Hollywood writers' strike. Dr. Horrible is proof the writers don't need Hollywood, along the same vein as Radiohead's latest album and the slew of musicians who are showing the recording industry it's not necessary for success.

I love the smell of media convergence in the morning. Don't you?

Good Deals at Borders

Ian dragged me to Borders last night. I didn't want to go (because I knew I'd spend money--it never fails), but I went willingly. Ok, so he didn't drag me there.

There were some excellent bargains. Not only are there a bunch of mediocre books in boxes at the front for $3.99 each (I found a good crossword puzzle book in there--you just have to be patient and dig), but some of the books in their clearance section are (as always) great finds.

I got a really nice art book for $10. It's about 300 pages of full-color reproductions of some major art works, something that would normally cost closer to $40 full-price. I've definitely gotten some good deals in the Borders clearance section before.

So if you're in the mood for some cheap summer reading, hit up the clearance section at Borders. There's a pretty good chance you'll find something.

You should also hit up the Web site--they redid it a few months ago and there are some nice social media features in it. An improvement from only using Amazon as their Web site, I'll say.