ratatouille and yoga.

Oh my god. I made some ratatouille the other day. I've been craving it, but it surprisingly is not well-represented in my rather large collection of cookbooks. Finally, I decided that satisfying the craving was more important than doing it "right," so I went to the store for supplies based on the one recipe I had. YUM.

There were a few problems:

1) Thyme is a spice frequently used in French cooking but the recipe didn't call for it.

2) Ratatouille usually has EGGPLANT in it, which I hate, as those of you who know me know.

3) When I last ate it, it was wrapped in a crepe with goat cheese. I'm not ready to make crepes.

Solutions:

1) After smelling fresh thyme in the store, I realized that this was definitely a spice I wanted to incorporate into my spice cabinet, so I bought some. I later discovered that thyme is actually an important component of herbes de provence, named after the area where the dish originated, it being a "provencial" dish. :)

2) Ratatouille originally only had zucchini, tomatoes, green and red bell peppers, onion, and garlic. That's exactly what my version had, except I used yellow instead of red peppers, and I added carrots and yellow squash.

3) I ate it in the provencial style, with crusty bread, and added crumbled goat cheese.

YUM. And it's so easy! You should try it.

Charity's Vague Outline of Ratatouille

(All vegetables should be chopped rather largely.)

Soak garlic in olive oil. Saute onions and carrots until onions are clear, adding thyme (largest proportion), basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Add yellow pepper, green pepper, one big zucchini, and one yellow squash. Saute for a few minutes, until the veggies start to get a little tender. Add a big can of crushed tomatoes and a touch of sugar. Bring to a boil, and then simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Add more seasonings (listed above) to taste during the simmer.

Serve with crumbled goat cheese and big slices of crusty bread and make sure you are wearing your elastic waist britches!

Oh, and I've been trying to bring yoga back. I have been enjoying the work I've been doing lately to learn to let go, and yoga is part of that. I've also been doing Tai Chi, and working on clearing out my apartment of accumulated un-necessities. Anyway, the cats are enjoying it, too, and Sam is even starting to participate...



Charity :)

movies and b-s-.

Actually, I had a tough day today. Alison, Vaughn and I did some work on the coding scheme for our music consecration paper and it really took a lot out of me. It's been hard for me to get it up for sociology lately, what with all the doubts and concerns I've been having, and the mid-life/pre-career crisis I find myself in at the present juncture. I'm trying though. A friend of mine serendipitously got back in touch with me to give me comfort and encouragement about the dissertation. He recently got his PhD and has been helpful in listening to my grumbles and telling me that I can go to the Peace Corps maybe or get a job in North Carolina doing something non-academic, but that I really should finish my dissertation. Mom keeps telling me, too, but it's a lot of work. It's not just a matter of time wasted; it's emotionally and intellectually exhausting. But as I was telling Alison, this is closest I will ever be in this lifetime to getting my doctorate, so I should definitely do the work if I'm at all interested. Of course, I saw the chair of my committee today at school and I swear he gave me the evil eye...

I watched Dog Day Afternoon when I got home from school. It was pretty good. Definitely worth seeing, especially if you like Al Pacino; he gives a great performance. Of course, he's awesome, so that's no shock. But really a great performance. It's hard to say it was subtle, since it was about a bank robbery gone wrong, but it was in a way. You slowly become attached to Pacino's character, the tension slowly builds to an almost unbearable climax, turns in the story and revelations are striking, yet almost mundane seeming. I thought it was "ok" when it first ended, but the more time passes, the fonder I grow of it. I mean, it's no Man With the Golden Arm but hey, we can't all be perfect.

I rented Double Indemnity, and when I checked out my friend the videostore guy asked me about Dog Day Afternoon. I blathered for a moment then mentioned The Man With the Golden Arm. He recommended Anatomy of a Murder, another Otto Preminger film. I'll have to see it next. He claims it's his best, and I looked it up and it looks great. I remember it's one of those that's been on my list for some time but I keep forgetting.

Another I've been wanting to see is Pinky, which I almost got tonight. I've been wanting to see that for years! It looks fascinating. I'll just save it for next time I suppose...

charity :)

Oh, and the b-s- refers to the State of the Union address, which I tried to watch but was only able to endure for five minutes. That's when I went to the videostore. God, what have we done to ourselves...

me today.

Nicholas Celebrates Four Years with Us.

Today was Nicholas' birthday celebration. Lots of fun was had by all, but unfortunately I missed my nap afterwards. I don't normally take one of course, but after that party I needed one. Sitting in Borders, spacing out after gorging on pizza, mimosas, and cake, and exhausted after chasing 4 year olds around a small apartment for a couple of hours, I realized that unfortunately I am now too old for kids. I missed my window I guess. By like ten years. Lucky for me my friends have had kids, so I can still enjoy them and yet not worry about going to IKEA and chasing them around and around and around and around....



Just kidding. I actually like chasing kids around, but I prefer watching them chase themselves and/or each other around. Kids are so funny!

Anyway, good day, but not enough work done. As usual. :) Who cares? I had a nice day. I always love spending time with the Elliots, and I got a cheap coffee table and a nice file drawer on wheels from IKEA. I even talked to my dad on the phone for a minute. It's not all my problems, and I definitely spent more than $10, but it's a start.

I think tomorrow I'll watch Dog Day Afternoon. I'll let you know what I think.

charity :)

the low price guarantee.

I was on my way to babysit tonight when I noticed a sign on a telephone pole. As luck would have it, I was compelled by a traffic light to stop right beside it, giving me plenty of time to read the following:

Indian Healer

Love Luck
Money Health

Solves All Problems $10

Now, in terms of marketing, sure it grabbed my attention. However, the sign left many unanswered questions.

For instance, what exactly is an "Indian Healer"? Is that Native American, or Indian the continent? Do they include this qualifier to give the healer more legitimacy? Would fewer people feel inclined to call if the sign simply read "Healer"? Would they think they wouldn't get their money's worth or that their hopes for satisfaction would be unrealized?

How did they come up with the four advertised rewards? Are these the main things people desire? Did they sample the population to make sure? Why does health come last and love first? Would the order be different in, say, Santa Fe or Minneapolis? Wouldn't good luck be unnecessary in most cases if people's dreams for love, money, and health were realized?

By "all problems" do they really mean that the Indian Healer can solve any problems even if they aren't related to love, luck, money, or health? Really? Like, what about indigestion? Can this Indian Healer help me find my life's passion? Can this Indian Healer open my heart and let me trust people and forgive those who have hurt me in the past? Can the Indian Healer make my apartment slightly bigger so that my cats don't have to use the litter box right under my work desk? Can the Indian Healer make H & M hurry up and open here in Atlanta? Can this Indian Healer help me stop playing "Oregon Trail" on Facebook?

And finally, $10? Seriously? I'm surprised the sign didn't say "OBO" (or best offer). Any legitimacy the "Indian" label gives is somewhat diminished by the fact that the solutions are practically free. It kind of makes me not want to trust this sign stapled to a phone pole on Ponce de Leon Avenue.

Of course, I do have several pressing problems, to which I have been looking for solutions...

Drastic Life Changes? or Easy Survey?

Right now, I'm reading this book, "The Way of the Fertile Soul: Ten Ancient Chinese Secrets to Tap Into a Woman's Creative Potential" by Randine Lewis, Ph.D. (who lives in Asheville, I might add). I'm currently doing some Yin-Yang Exploration, which is very hard. I'm writing about it in my journal. It's good to know that there are some things even I won't put on my blog, I guess. I'm hoping to learn more about my creative potential and why it is apparently stifled. I have some ideas, but solving the problems I think I have involves making some drastic life changes that I'm not sure I'm ready to make. So in the meantime, I'll just keep doing what I'm doing. I'll keep you posted, though, as I begin to think more about this. (And the beauty of it is that this is a book on Chinese Medicine and fertility, which is actually part of my dissertation!)

Anyway, since I'm being stingy with that information right now, I thought I'd post this survey that my cousin posted on MySpace.

1 . If someone doesn't like you, it's usually because:
I have insulted them or made ugly faces at them. Intentionally or unintentionally.

2. Last Saturday night you?
It was really snowy but my friend Stephen came over anyway and we made tacos with fake chicken. It's funny to watch meat eaters try fake meat for the first time. :)

3. What are you excited about?
Honestly, not really anything. I'm feeling rather equanimous. Although I just drank a coke which I never do, so I imagine I'll be pretty excited by the time Jazzercise rolls around.

4. Do you remember the most naughty night of your life?
It's not that I don't remember, it's just that describing something that way sounds lame, so I don't.

5. Have you kissed someone in the last 24 hours?
No. Unless you count my cat, which most people wouldn't.

6. Favorite scent?
It's hard to narrow it to one!

8. How long you been at your job?
I've been working at my part-time job for about 8 months. It's really starting to grow on me!

9. What kind of music do you like best?
It's hard to narrow to one.

10. Who's the last person to sleep in your bed?
Me. Do cats count? Because they are probably there right this very moment.

11. Whose bed did you last sleep in besides yours?
A friend of mine's.

12. Ever been in love?
Sure. Most people my age have been at least once, I guess.

13. What is today's date?
22 January 2008.

15. Who is the funniest person you know?
It depends on what the joke is about. Nikki and Stacie can always make me crack up, though. And when my brother Baxter gets going, he can be pretty hilarious too.

16. Are you in high school?
No.

17. What grade?
Uh, no.

18. Do you smoke?
No. I accidentally used to. It's so very bad. I quit for good when I found out Mom has emphysema.

19. You admire people who:
Can get things done quickly when they set their minds to it. And people who are organized. And people who have found a job they are TRULY passionate about where they do what they love doing.

20. Can you keep a secret?
Um, when necessary, but I really hate to.

[21 through 31 are gone, and I don't feel like renumbering, so I'll just pretend I don't notice.]

32. What were you doing this morning at 8?
Trying to wake up. I'm not a morning person.

33. What were you doing 15 minutes ago?
Working.

34. Are you mad at any one?
No. Still equanimous.

36. The last person to say they loved you?
Probably Nikki the last time I talked to her. Or maybe my mom.

37. What was the last present you received?
I don't know, probably something for Christmas.

38. Last thing received in the mail?
Hmm, probably a bill. Or junk mail. I get one or both of those every day.

45. Are you any good at math?
I am. I wish I'd gone into accounting. I would be making a lot of money by now. I didn't used to care about money, but after 8 years in grad school, it's starting to sound pretty good.

51. What did you do two nights ago?
Sunday night I watched Law and Order Criminal Intent.

52. Are any of your great-grandparents still alive?
No. In fact, not even any of my grandparents are still alive.

53. Would you rather sleep with someone else, or alone?
I would rather sleep alone, honestly. I spread out. I need my space.

54. Most amazing thing you did in Summer 2007?
I actually got work done on my dissertation. Like, a significant amount.

55. Are there any previous relationships you wish could have lasted longer?
No.

56. Whats the most annoying thing anyone could do?
Be rude, inconsiderate, or unreasonable. Although I do that sort of thing ALL the time.

57. How is life going for you right now?
Pretty well, if I could get my head out of my butt.

58. Are you keeping a secret from someone that needs to know the truth?
No way.

60. What do you think of your siblings?
My brothers are the best. I love them both dearly. My sister-in-law is better than I could ever have hoped for. My stepbrother is awesome and fun to be around, my stepsisters are both take charge, dynamic people who go after what they want. We're a pretty good, although disparate, group.

61. What was the reason you last cried?
Blame it on grad school, as usual.

62. What was the first thing you said when you woke up today?
Usually, aside from a groan and moan, the first thing I say is "Hey Sam!" to my cat who is waiting outside the door for me to wake up. That was true today as well.

63. Last time you couldn't take your eyes off someone?
I don't know. That's weird.

64. Who is your celebrity crush?
Justin! Or James Marsden. Boy, is he cute.

65. Are you more independent or dependent?
I'm more independent.

66. Who will you see tomorrow?
Stephen and whomever I see at Borders.

69. Do you give out second chances too easily?
No.

70. Whats your middle name?
Elizabeth. (Haha, I don't have to change this from when my cousin filled it out!)

71. Are you a bitch?
No, but I sure can do a good impression of one.

72. Where do you see yourself in 4 years?
Still in graduate school. It's a nightmare based on a very unsatisfying reality.

73. What did you do last night?
After avoiding work by watching Law and Order Criminal Intent, I watched the 1986 film "A Room With A View" based on the E.M. Forster novel of the same name. It was pretty good.

74. Who text messaged you last?
Stephen.

75. What did the text message say?
"Still at my friends..." (Nosy!)

76. How are your parents?
I miss them. Hopefully they are super. Like Big Gay Al.

77. Who were you last in a car with?
Susanna. We went to see 27 Dresses this weekend. It was fun.

78. Do you drink?
Yes.

80. Last thing you ate?
Lunch. I think the last bite was some Baked Lay's.

Wow, so that's how the story ends. Pathetic. I'll add a last question or two.

81. What's next on your Netflix queue?
Once. I'm excited to see it.

82. If you could have anything for dinner tonight, what would it be?
A buffet at an Indian restaurant.

83. What skill do you wish you had?
Organization and/or time management.

84. What is your dream job?
Wow, that's an interesting question (thank you!). I would like to be a graphic designer, honestly. But I went into sociology. I thought I could change the world, but I just learned through my studies that the world couldn't change by my will alone. If I'd gone into graphic design, though, at least I'd be able to design killer pamphlets and newsletters for activist and/or non-profit organizations.

85. What are you excited about? (I remembered something, now that the Coke has set in--yay caffeine!)
I am excited about H & M opening in Atlanta this spring!! (Too bad I don't have a full-time job and too bad it's opening in Atlantic Station. Good thing it won't stop me from enjoying it.)

Alright, now I'm going back to work. I've got a newsletter to amateur-ly design!

Charity :)

Resolutions 2008

Last night I dreamed that I was at some sort of convention with one of my dissertation committee members, who was my lover. I woke up unsure of what this says about my inner turmoil regarding both my dissertation and the guy I've been seeing. I guess I'll leave that question for my psychoanalyst when I get one.

Anyway, better late than never I guess: My New Year's Resolutions.

1) To lose, um, 20 pounds. Actually I've already lost ten of them before, but I gained them all back. And in fact, I've lost about 5 since the new year, somehow. It baffles me since I've been trying to eat up all the noodles and candy I have left before the diet technically begins. I've decided to do something like the Zone Diet. I saw this program on TLC about "The World's Heaviest Man" (BBC Story here), who has lost 500 pounds on the Zone Diet. I like the sound of a diet where I get to eat all day, but I'm not sure I will be able to work it with being a vegetarian. I can try, though. Anyway, I'll let you know how that goes. I will also go back to Jazzercise after a month-long hiatus.

2) To finish (at least a draft of) my dissertation. I'm applying for a fellowship, but probably won't get it. In that case, I haven't decided if I will teach next fall. I may be able to at Oxford again, and it would be hard to say no to that, but I have absolutely, positively, GOT to get out of school. I've started fantasizing about my life if I had gotten an MBA and gone into advertising or something. It's not looking good. I need to start making a salary and stop living off student loans, if for no reason other than my own sanity. Of course, I'd like to go back to North Carolina, but maybe that will be a resolution for 2009. First things first: finish the dissertation.

3) I think I will try to participate in the "365 Days" group on Flickr, but I haven't quite worked up the nerve. I will probably try to get a few good ones "in the can" first. Many of the people in this group are like really into it. They use Photoshop or something to put two images of themselves in one shot--things I'd love to be able to do but don't know how to. And yes, maybe I could take a class to learn, but remember Resolution 2? Anyway, I have at least one for you, even if I haven't yet decided to give it to Flickr...


(This photo was actually taken October 06.)

Also, I saw a few movies:

Juno: highly recommended. I added another of Ellen Page's films, Hard Candy, to my Netflix queue. That one looks good, too. But really really different...

28 Days Later: highly recommended if you like "disaster"/dystopic/horror/zombie movies (along with its successor 28 Weeks Later which I saw in the theater).

American Psycho: not recommended. Well, I mean recommended maybe for fans of Chuck Palahniuk.

Oh, and Live Free or Die Hard: recommended for people who like action films. And sexy mens.

charity :)