Lemon Butter & Green Veggie Pasta

I've been on a veggie kick of late (it's crazy how eating green things can make you feel so much better--green gummy bears are included in my category of life-improving green things). Last night, I was craving some simple noodles with some fresh green goodness. I threw together this super simple pasta dish in about 15 minutes.


Lemon & Garlic Butter Pasta with Broccoli & Spinach
1 box rotini noodles
1 head of fresh broccoli
1 1/2 cups fresh spinach leaves
1 clove fresh garlic
2 tblsp. fresh lemon juice (I used that fake lemon from a bottle and it was still good)
4 tblsp. butter
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
parmesan cheese
salt &  pepper to taste

In a large pot, bring about 1 1/2 quarts of water to a bowl. Salt water and add noodles. As the noodles cook, prep broccoli and spinach. Rinse broccoli and cut into small florets a.k.a. bite-size bits.  Chiffonade spinach leaves. (Chiffonade is a fancy French word that means "to shred or cut finely." Here's how it's done: First, take a handful of your spinach and stack the leaves so the lie fairly flat; this doesn't have to be perfect, just a bit organized. Second, roll the stack of leaves into a bundle, kind of like you would roll up a newspaper. Third, place the bundly on a cutting board--keep holding on to it, or it will come unrolled--and slice through the bundle of leaves with a sharp knife, just like you would to cut a cucumber into rounds. I made my slices about 1/4 inch thick. This technique can also be used to chop fresh basil, mint, sage, and even cilantro and parsely.) Set veggies aside - they don't join the party until later.

As the pasta continues to boil, melt 2 tblsp. of butter in a small saute pan. Dice garlic and add to sizzling butter. Combine red pepper and a bit of cracked black pepper. Saute until garlic turns slightly golden brown. (And fills your entire apartment with its aroma, as my roommates could testify.) Add remaining 2 tblsp. of butter and remove from heat.

Test pasta. As so as it is almost done as you like it, add the broccoli. The broccoli only needs to cook with the pasta for about 1 minute. Drain pasta and broccoli and add back to the pan. While the pasta is still hot, stir in the spinach. The left-over heat will cook the spinach just enough, leaving it a lovely green color. Just before serving, add lemon juice to melted butter. Stir thouroughly and pour over pasta and veggies.

Server topped with plenty of parmesan cheese and freshly cracked black pepper.

*Unfortunately, there are no pictures of this dish, as I gobbled it up too quickly. So, instead, since I'm craving summertime even more than green veggies, there's this. Cause nothing says summer like rainbow sandals, beat-up concrete, bare legs, and bright blue toenails.*

Ginger Glazed Sweet Potatoes & Spinach Smoothies

a.k.a - The College Girl's Anti-Scurvy Dinner.

Lately, my diet has been very well rounded. And by "well rounded" I mean bagel, tortilla, and cheerio shaped. Being a TA and tackling the last of my classes for my minor in editing has kept me so busy the the whole concept of sitting down to eat a meal has been a bit neglected. Bananas and Honey Nut Cheerios are breakfast, an asiago bagel is lunch, and by the time I get home each night, a quesadilla is about all I can manage.

But this is NOT HEALTHY. So. After a very productive (and very needed--my milk definitely tasted a bit "special" on Tuesday morning) trip to the market last night, I'm treating myself to a host of veggie splendor.

I have a major thing for sweet potatoes and, of late, a major thing for ginger (see last three recipes), so I thought I would bring the two together in hopes of splendid results. Voila! This sweet potato recipe is very loosely based on a recipe I found HERE at Food Network--thanks, friends. Also, sweet potatoes are full of vitamins, protein, fiber, and antioxidants. One sweet spud will give you over 700% of your daily need of vitamin A. And ginger has been shown to promote good digestive health.


Brown Sugar & Ginger Glazed Sweet Potatoes
4 tblsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 tblsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1/2 to 1 tsp. diced fresh ginger
1/4 tsp. cayenne peper
salt & freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
2 sweet potatoes, diced

Heat oven to 425* F. Wash and peel sweet potatoes, then slice into slightly-bigger-than-bite-size chucks. In a large bowl, combine olive oil, brown sugar, cayenne, and ginger. And sweet potatoes and toss until the potatoes are well coated in the glaze. Bake at 425 for about 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.


Spinach & Pineapple Smoothie a.k.a Goojah's Green Goodness
Credit for this recipe goes to my mother (fondly called Goojah), who became enlightened about the goodness of spinach smoothies thanks to the wisdom of a friendly Costco taster/demo lady. This recipe makes about two smoothies.

2 cups fresh spinach, packed
1/2 can of crushed pineapple or about a cup of fresh pineapple
1/2 cup white grape juice concentrate
2 tblsp. limeaid concentrate
1 1/2 cups ice
(opt) 1 ripe banana

Add it all to your blender and blend on high (you might need to add a bit of water). If you don't want to stain your kitchen green, be sure the lid is on tight. Blend and pulse until smooth, about 1 minute. Enjoy - just try not to think about how what you're drinking looks a bit like pond scum. :)

Just Listen

*stay tuned for two new [super veggie] recipes*

IN OTHER NEWS:
You should probably listen to/watch these things. Your soul will thank you.

Vitamin String Quartet is my latest music obsession; they cover popular rock songs via, well, strings--cello, violin, and viola. Many thanks to the Crandalls for introducing me to this incredible new source of music. Their awesomeness is worthy of a bulleted list of hyperlinkage--and these are just my "must listens."

• Tribute to Snow Patrol's (insert swoon) "Chasing Cars"
• And "Run" by Snow Patrol - another song that will forever be in my top 10
  
• "The Scientist" by Coldplay (listen to the original, too, it's currently on my top 5)
• "Fix You" by Coldplay - I can't listen to this song with out aching a little.
• "Iris" by The Goo Goo Dolls - This song was on my radio alarm this morning.
• "My Immortal" by Evanescence - One of my favorite melancholy bands, back before they went super hardcore. This rendition is heart wrenching.
• "From Yesterday" by 30 Seconds to Mars
• "Here Without You" by 3 Doors Down - Oh, the high school memories.
• Another old favorite, "Hey There, Delilah" by Plain White T's - This is still the most played song in my iTunes library.
  
• "Welcome to the Black Parade" by My Chemical Romance - Epic angst gets classy.
• "Somewhere I Belong" by Linkin Park - who new hardcore white-boy rap could be so sophisticated?
• Another Linkin Park favorite "Pushing Me Away"
• Muse's "Time is Running Out"
  
• "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith - This one is much better if you *don't* look at Steven Tyler.
• For you Owl City fans, here's a great cut of "Fireflies"
  
• AND last but definitely not least, a tribute to "Hands Down" by Dashboard Confessional - This was the first song I heard, and it still may be my favorite.

Oh, and while you're at it, watch this version of "21 Guns" by Green Day--apparently they're making a musical? Who knew. Anywho, it's fantastic.

That should keep you entertained for a few hours. Enjoy!

Ties of Love - 6 Months Later

6 months ago today, I was getting on an airplane and beginning the biggest journey of my life. The sun was just coming up as I departed Salt Lake City. 34 hours later, after touching down in Hong Kong, I would finally see the sun set. (Snow Patrol was my flying music of choice, hence the new additions to the playlist.)

24 days, 8 flights, 1,783 pictures, and 37 friendship bracelets later, I was back in the US. My three weeks in India with Rising Star Outreach were some of the best weeks of my life. Every day held new experiences, new opportunities to serve, new opportunities to love. Six months later, I still think about the strength of the incredible people I met in the leprosy colonies every day. I still miss the little ones who taught me so much about unconditional love. Here are few of my favorite photos from those three weeks.

This "bracelet" was a gift from my buddy Aravind. The children loved giving the volunteers gifts; we were constantly finding stickers, candy wrappers, leaves, pictures, and strings accompanied by little love notes. These little strings are faded and worn, now, and soon I'll finally take them off and tuck them away in my journal. But for now they remind me that sometimes the greatest love is shown in the smallest ways.

At Rising Star, birthdays are a big deal. On Rosemary's fifth birthday, she got to wear a beautiful fancy dress and share a huge cake with all of the other students.


Mariadas and co excitedly awaiting their slice of cake.

Playing with my little Ajay on my last day at Rising Star.

Though I made many friendship bracelets while at the school, these two were very special. When I first arrived at Rising Star, Ajay was a very quiet little fellow who didn't spend much time with the volunteers. But a few days later, he and I were having thumb wars and reading some stories before bedtime. The days are long at RSO, and a very tired Ajay fell asleep in my arms. That subtle display of love and trust opened my heart. Ajay and I became very close during my time at RSO, and he blossomed with a bit of special attention and love. I made these identical bracelets a few days before I returned to the US, and mine hasn't left my wrist since.

Playtime with my favorite little climbers, Ajay, Mariadas, Jarnarthanan, and Sebastin.

My first glimpse of the Taj Mahal, where I watched the sun rise on my twentieth birthday.

Taking care of a very ill Kristaraj on Independence Day in India.

My dear friend Ravi Chandran. Never have a known a kinder man with a brighter or more loving spirit. Though he has been affected by leprosy for most of his life, he spends most of his time taking care of the other patients of the small leprosy hospital he calls home. Singing and laughing with Ravi was a highlight of my time in India.

With fellow volunteers Jared, Sami, Kristin, and Jenny in the home of one of the leprosy patients.

Can't you see the mischief in Satia's eyes? She's full of it.

Carly, Karly, and me in our India best with Joyce and Ron Hanson.

Lunch - mmm, Limca... how I miss thee.



Though the colors have faded (along with my summer tan), the memories of the people I came to love have not. I am so grateful that I was blessed with such an incredible opportunity. I went to India thinking I would be teaching English, but I learned so much more than I ever taught.
Naan unae khadlikkiren.
(I love you)

Fiery Citrus Chicken Fajitas

Being a slightly food-obsessed college student, I think that my counter-top grill (aka The George) is one of the greatest inventions to every grace my kitchen with its presence. In a fit of culinary productivity last weekend, I decided that it was high time to bust out The George and make one of my favorite creations, citrus marinated chicken fajitas. Easy to make, fresh, healthy, and awesomely delicious. This time I decided to kick up the spice a bit with rather pleasing results. So, here's the new and improved recipe. ¡Qué sabroso!

Note - As always, measurements are more like guidelines than actually rules, here. I add a dash of this and a splash of that until it tastes good, then try to figure out the measurements.

The Goods:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in strips
1 small green pepper
1 small red pepper
1 small white onion
2 tsp.s chipotle paste
6-8 flour tortillas
green cabbage

The Marinade:
2 oranges
3 limes
2 tblsp. white vinegar
2 tblsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 heaping tsp. salt
4-6 cloves of garlic, finely diced
1/4 tsp. cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic pepper
1/4 tsp. paprika
dash of cayenne pepper

Juice the oranges and limes into a large glass dish (hint: throw the limes into the microwave for about 10 seconds before slicing them and they'll give more juice), add the vinegar, oil, and spices. These amounts are rough estimates, so if you're looking for a bit more fire in your life, add a bit more cayenne and black pepper. If your tastes are a bit more mild, go easy with the peppers and the garlic. Whip up all the goodness until it "smells like a fiesta," as my friend put it. Reserve about 2 tblsp. of marinade to season veggies.

Add sliced chicken to marinade and let it soak up the goodness for 1-6 hours.

When it's about dinner time, plug in your grill. While it gets nice and hot, wash and seed peppers and slice them into thin strips, about an inch long. Peel and slice onion. Toss veggies with reserved marinade. For a bit of extra burn, add 1 or 2 tsp. chipotle paste. Heat a large frying pan, add a splash of olive oil and sauté veggies. Grill chicken, about 4 pieces at a time.

After grilling, slice chicken. Serve with warm tortillas, sautéed veggies, and chopped cabbage. I like to add a bit of salsa and sour cream as well.

Enjoy!


PS- Two shout-outs:
1- David Gray, I adore you. Thank you for creating an absolutely brilliant new album. I am much obliged.

2- Dear reader in Utica - Who are you? Thanks for reading and if you ever seen any of those LDS missionaries wandering around your town, tell my buddy Elder Jones "Hi!" for me.

Is This Real Life?

So, this is actually the (slightly modified) conclusion of an essay I've been working on this weekend. I'm currently enrolled in Humanities 350 - A Study of Theory and Criticism. Thus far, we've mostly been reading the wafflings of a bunch of old dudes who have way too much time to analyze everything & detrimentally huge vocabularies. However, we did read this gloss on The Cat in the Hat which was hilarious, enlightening, bizarre, and disturbing all at the same time. (Gloss, in this sense, is a fancy theorist word that means "interpretation or analysis.") Read it, but be warned, you'll never look at children's books quite the same way again; they may seem innocent. . . but no.

Anyway, theory. It's real. Though I mock it & sometimes/usually abhor Marx, Derrida, & Foucault, I thought I'd share my little "ah-ha moment" with y'all.

Actually, I'm not really sure why I decided to post this... it's not that interesting. Oh, well.

Last night, I was talking with a friend of mine, complaining about living in the library so much, and analyzing our latest bizarre dreams. Then I had an epiphany. The way we were talking about dreams, examining them from different angles, looking for possible symbolism – that is theory.

Jaw

drops.

When you take that step beyond the surface meaning, that’s theory. When you look at each word, feel out its implications, study its history, and show that every word can make a difference, that’s theory. When you study everyday life, common occurrences, fashions, fads, and trends and somehow find significance in all of those little things, that’s theory. “Today it is generally recognized that everyday life is quite as intricate, unfathomable, obscure and occasionally tedious as Wagner, and thus eminently worth investigating” (Eagleton “After Theory” 4).

It is hard to give a concrete definition for theory because theory itself is not concrete; it is always changing to fit society’s new ideal, or at least to avoid the things that society holds in contempt. “…Knowledge is always open to further interpretation and criticism,…understanding is always susceptible to further correction and realization” (Gunn “Interdisciplinary Studies” 255).

Theory finds significance in the seemingly insignificant. Theory crosses boundaries, bringing the ideals and techniques from one area of study to analyze the works of another field. Theory often blows my mind or leaves me wondering why it matters at all.

Theory asks little questions. Theory asks big questions. Theory questions the questions. And all this questioning changes the way in which we view things, alters our understanding, and helps us to make a work our own. When we analyze something and wrestle with its layers of potential meaning, we grasp it in an entirely new way. Theory makes connections.

Something That May or May Not Be Worth Reading

I've been studying serious stuff too much & this has been bouncing around my head for some time, so it needed to get out.

Hey, blog, it's been awhile,

I just wanted to let you know that I'm doing pretty well. Working hard, staying busy, thinking about editing internships in Boston and San Francisco, and actually sleeping for a decent number of hours each night. I give people grades, which gives me the oddly mixed feelings of power and intimidation. It's like all of the sudden I had to grow up a bit and be responsible, like I could finally keep up with all of this, like I could be that almost-adult person that keeps a job and goes to school, like I could measure up to all the expectations, but sometimes these big decisions still scare the crap out of me.

I don't cook as much as I used to, but with all these hours of sleep, I've had plenty of time to dream. I've been listening to lots of new music and digging up some old favorites, but I still listen for the lyrics first. I've helped a few friends through some hard times, made a playlist of communal grieving, and wished that sometimes my memory wasn't quite so vivid. There have been lots of things that I've wanted to write, but it seems like I never have the time. Or maybe I just didn't have the courage. Or maybe it just didn't need to be said in the first place. Nah... it must have been the time thing.

But I feel like I've had a fresh start. I got myself a new backpack and a whole load of editing books to fill it up. I even bought myself a pair of skinny jeans, which seems oddly monumental. I wear jewelry on occasion, now, but my tied bracelets from India are still going strong after six months - maybe the love makes them stronger than normal strings.

So, although I wish it were springtime already, on this weepy, drippy sort of winter day, life is pretty good. And even though I haven't said much lately, I'm still here, still breathing, still thinking, still dreaming, still jabbering, still wondering. I'll be back, maybe when I have more time to write silly things of no great import. Or maybe I'll just figure out how to juggle all of these things that some might call "life."

Until then, keep listening - the music always changes.

Kels

Soundtrack, Take 2

School is crazy. I already spent the majority of my day in the library, & my hair is up in a bun secured with a pencil. This does not give me much optimism for the prospects of my social life. But having a job as a TA is great fun; giving people grades is a thrilling mix of feeling powerful & feeling intimidated.

In other news, I'm starting a new soundtrack for the blog for this new year. Right now, its a blend of some new favorites (Ben Solle = love) & some old classics (David Gray also = love). & if you haven't caught on by now, there's a lot to the lyrics.

Enjoy & keep listening - I'll be adding all sorts of new goodies.

You can still listen to all of my playlists HERE. (oooh, linkage. pretty.)

Welcome 2010/ Crepes w/ Zesty Ginger & Orange Cream Cheese Filling

*PHOTOS ADDED*

I've messed with a lot of different ideas for blog posts during this past month. This is my 100th post, you see, & I felt like it needed to be something special. My brainstorm of options was quite extensive & included 10 top 10 lists, 100 favorite songs, & an Ode to my Chucks, my beloved traveling Converse. But nothing ever went anywhere. So... no post. Last night I welcomed the new year in the best way here at home with my family. We had a lovely fire & watched "Wait Until Dark" while the snow billowed past our windows. & suddenly, it was 2010.

This morning, I woke up with a lovely idea floating around in my head - don't you just love it when that happens? The lovely idea went something like this - I have fresh ginger. There are oranges in my kitchen. There are about 6 blocks of cream cheese in the fridge. I think 2010 needs to be welcomed by a batch of crepes with some sort of amazing cream cheese filling. So, I started concocting. Based on the results, I think 2010 is going to be a very good year indeed.

serving suggestion - we also added glazed pears
and creamy cinnamon syrup - recipe to come

Crepes
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp. melted butter
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Put everything in a blender & whip it up for about a minute. Scrape the batter down with a rubber spatula & give it another buzz for about 30 seconds. Refrigerate for an hour. (You can skip the "refrigerate" part if your house is as cold as mine.)

Cook the crepes in a small frying pan. Coat the pan with melted butter, then add about 2 tblsp. of batter, tilting the pan & rolling the batter around until it coats the bottom of the pan. Cook until the top of the crepe looks a bit dry & the edges of the crepe begin to lift from the sides of the pan.

delicious. mmmm.

Zesty Ginger Orange Filling
1 8 oz. package cream cheese (DO NOT use that non-fat stuff - that's just nasty)
6 tblsp. fresh squeezed orange juice
1 tblsp. orange zest (this is a rough estimate- feel free to add more)
2 tsp. milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp. freshly grated ginger
dash of freshly grated nutmeg
dash of powdered ginger
pinch of salt

I think that was everything... Basically, whip all of that goodness together with a mixer until it's fluffy & delicious. It works best if you blend the cream cheese & the milk first, then add the powdered sugar & orange juice & whip it up. Then add the zests & the spices. YUM.

Fill your crepes with a dollop of filling, roll, & top with a sprinkling of powdered sugar. Bon Appétit!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

New Sounds

This post kinda no longer applies... cause my blog is now featuring my Christmas Playlist 2009 for the rest of December. But you can listen to the other playlist here.

I've been on a new music kick lately, changing up some things, putting away some old playlist that were played to often, and looking for something new.

This first song goes out to Martha, who is the best psychiatrist ever. & she's really cool.

I look bald in this picture. I swear I'm not. This was like the second time I saw Martha. Already, there was a spark of destiny.

The second song is... strange. But I kinda love it... in a strange way.