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February 19, 2008
San Francisco Diet
Taking inspiration from New York Magazine's "New York Diet" series, I decided to take a look at what I eat over the course of a week. Of course, a week in my life isn't nearly as compelling or glamorous as the jet-setters and city notables they feature on their site, but I thought it would be a fun experiment, mostly to see for myself what my diet really look likes upon closer inspection. The week I recorded here wasn't entirely typical- I certainly ate home a lot more than usual and, since I knew I was going to be blogging about every bite and sip, my food choices were subconsciously (or not) a smidgen healthier than normal (contrasted to this past weekend wherein I consumed quite literally a ton of bbq meat, assorted fried treats, and a few too many drinks). And, looking back, the week was remarkably low-key for me...so...yeah. This is probably incredibly boring to everyone save the few stalkers I have out there (hey guys!)
THURSDAY, February 7th
I got up late and I gobbled down the last crumbs of blueberry cornbread loaf I baked a few days before when I had the sudden inspiration to bake. We were, to my shock, all out of coffee so I zombie-shuffled over Peet's over on Broderick and got a pound of my favorite bean- their French Roast.
I hung out at OakSide Café across the street to get some writing done and had a coffee there with a veggie sandwich on sourdough. Can never get enough sourdough.
Later I volunteered to host an alumni event for my alma matter down at DaDa in SoMa. I had two Hefeweizens and a sip of someone's watermelon martini. I came home starving and made myself the quickest thing I could think of assembling- wheat toast topped with marinara sauce and pre shredded "Mexi-blend" cheese. Not quite pizza, and not quite good. Then I had some Dryer's Slow Churned ice cream with a Trader Joe's chocolate chip cookie crumbled on top. It was a meal only a second grader would have truly appreciated.
FRIDAY
I was rushing out the door so I only had to time to gulp down some coffee with almond milk (swearing off regular cow-made milk for now) and had a Tsatsuma orange on the bus.
Later met up with a friend to introduce her to Beard Papa cream puffs. I had one with an iced coffee in the Yearba Buena gardens. Ran errands all afternoon, came home and ate a cup of Fage yogurt with almonds, a drizzle of honey, and another orange.
My cousin came over later and we had hummus on toast (she's a vegan) and some white wine. Went to a Shabbat service at Emanue-El. Beautiful temple, lovely music, nice assortment of hot young Jews- all in all a great start to the weekend. Downstairs they had keg of some kind of beer (He'Brew?) and a spread of Kosher nibbles. I had some of the beer, a few falafel balls, some salmon nuggets, and some challah.
Later I accidentally had some hot cocoa. On our trip to the island of Saba last summer, I found this stuff in a local market. I bought it pretty much for the kitsch/shock value of the packaging. At first I thought it was some kind of chocolatey banana cereal. Come on- wheat stalk? Banana? Bowl and spoon? So I added some milk, heated it up, and stirred it around in a bowl. Was confused, looked it up online, and discovered it was a hot coca drink. Not cereal.
SATURDAY
Had a late brunch with my dad and Rafe. Made scrambled eggs with chives and sourdough toast with goat cheese, avocados and tomatoes. On the side had some chicken-apple sausages, raspberries, and some other cut-up fruit. And 2 cups of coffee.
Made a batch of NoPudge brownies. I know. Normally I'm no fan of "diet" products (or products with the word "pudge" in their name) but they were surprisingly delicious for something fat-free- and suspiciously "all natural."
After hanging out at Bed Bath & Beyond with my dad and exchanging some stuff for some better stuff (new knives! New omelet pan!), and came home and whipped up a simple dinner of spaghetti with a fresh tomato mushroom sauce and lots of asiago.
PS. Bed Bath & Beyond will exchange ANYTHING for a refund. Even if you don't have a receipt. Even if you're exchanging something obviously used.
SUNDAY
Made Rafe and myself some multigrain blueberry pancakes with a side of chicken-apple sausage.
In the afternoon, I had a glass of beer (somehow we'd acquired a mini keg of Heineken) and a handful of almonds. Snack of champions.
For dinner, had a few skewers of chicken yakitori and a some sushi rolls at a take-out place in Japantown before seeing Persopolis with a few girlfriends. Made a mental note to myself: Japanese food dangerous to eat in dark. The film was visually stunning and original, and the story was touching and at times very funny. Had a bunch of random snacks (Pocky, chardonnay-flavored hard candy, raisin cookies, etc) picked up from the Japanese market before the show and a few Swedish fish poached off of friend.
Came home and felt the need for three slices of wheat toast with butter.
MONDAY
Had a random assortment of food throughout the morning: a brownie, a mango, coffee, and a half bowlful of oat bran muesli with almond milk.
Later was mentoring my "little sister" and her mom was home and invited me to stay for dinner. I was excited as she usually cooks up a delicious Thai dish but tonight she was making something special just for me: green bean casserole with French's fried onions. The kind made with cream of mushroom soup. Was served an entire platter of it; didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings so I ate the whole thing.
TUESDAY
Breakfast was coffee, two scrambled eggs with sliced tomatoes, and 1 piece of multigrain toast.
Rafe was home from school today studying for midterms so I cooked up a hearty pork ragu with mushrooms over farfalle. I wasn't that hungry so I just had a taste and some mango slices.
After yoga, had a cherry pie LARA bar.
For dinner, we had tuna sandwiches on toasted challah (holla!), baked sweet potato fries (healthier and more patriotic than French fries!) and roasted asparagus.
And wine. Let's say a healthy glass. Or three.
WEDNESDAY
Breakfast- half a cup of Fage yogurt with blueberries, almonds, and honey. Lunch was a slice whole-wheat toast with hummus, avocado, and tomato and an apple dipped in peanut butter.
For dinner, channeled my inner Suzy Homemaker and cooked from scratch: BBQ baked chicken, roasted carrots, and macaroni and cheese.
THURSDAY
In the morning had coffee and a chocolate chip cookie. A heart shaped cookie for Valentine's Day.
Met up with Liz for a quick lunch at Macha Cafe- ate a roasted pepper and provolone sandwich and had an iced coffee. For dinner, went to Takara in Japantown and shared: an egg custard, miso soup, yakitori, hamachi and snapper sushi and tuna rolls. And split a bottle of unfiltered sake made right in Berkeley. And a scoop of green tea ice cream.
Later walked down Nicki's on Haight for some reggae and I drank two mango shochu mojitos. Noticed the prevalence of mango and bread in my diet. And the daily consumption of chocolate.
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February 18, 2008
This week's weather:
Castro:
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February 17, 2008
Limbo
Sitting outdoors at Café du Soleil, waiting for my coffee to cool and my laptop to boot up...half in the shade, feeling the burn of the sun on one cheek, watching a puppy under the table next to me sloppily lap up water from his bowl.
The weather forecast this morning was "nice to mild."
Looking at a front-page photo in the New York Times. Snow day in Prospect Park. I miss how peaceful and hushed the city is right after a snowfall. Of course, then the next day everything is draped in a layer of slushy soot, and each day after that is increasingly melty, gray, dirty. guess I can't complain, but I do miss the seasons. How is it nearing March already?
Time feels like expanding and contracting like an accordion, speeding up and then slowing down...and then speeding up again.
A sudden wind just blew by, sending an Orangina bottle to the sidewalk. The puppy is yelping, knocking his bowl over. A busboy is rushing out now, dustpan and broom in hand, a million hards of glass sparkling in the sunlight.
I've been thinking lately about how at other points in my life, things were more defined, the course was set, the path paved. I just had to show up. The routine was distracting, but was it better than this? No, just different. A limbo state. Here is this life: on one side familiar, on the other unrecognizable. On the verge of hope, of feeling my world open...that small voice of fear lingering in the background and fading out...
I've been reminding myself, maybe too frequently, that I'm not on a deadline. That there's no finish line. That I'm just here, waiting, wanting, dreaming, doing, living.
Posted by debbie at 1:24 PM | Comments (0)
February 15, 2008
Bloomed
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February 14, 2008
Happy Valentine's Day! And Also Some Commentary on Dwarfs
We are a household blessed with free cable. I don't know what I did in a previous life to deserve such a divine gift but perhaps it's just a wink from God . That's not a phrase I just throw around casually-- I actually read this book after finding it on the street one day- and you know what? Gosh darnit, It's not total b.s, especially for an author whose first name is Squire).
Today I learned from the teevee (for, let's be real, it would be blasphemous to let this gift go to waste) that there is a bevy of dwarf programming being produced these days.
Episodes of Little People, Big World (a middling reality program about a dwarf couple and their three children) are on almost round the clock and I don't deny that lately I've taken to checking my email and having my coffee with it on in the background. And tonight TLC just aired Incredibly Small: Kenadie's Story, a program about the world's tiniest primordial dwarf weighing in at 8 lbs. Yeah, I shed a tear at that one. Man, for such a small girl what a big story! And right after that, on an entirely different channel, on the news show all respectable journalists look up to -Inside Edition- aired not only one but TWO segments about Little People-- one on Gary Coleman and his recent marriage to a child bride in Utah (hey, a step up from his stint as an agro security guard!) and the other on Romeo, the Punjabi dwarf who is the tiniest body builder you ever did see.
So in one single day, I caught four different stories about dwarfs*. Before you think I have some bizarre fascination with Little People (or that I watch entirely too much television), I don't. Let's just chalk it up to an internal sensor that goes off when I see stuff like this. I do, after all, have professional training in these matters. At my old job, I would have pitched these stories to my boss and the next thing I'd know, I'd be on the phone to Punjab trying to convince Romeo to fly to Japan and do some weight lifting in front of a live studio audience. And maybe let the host pick him up and put him in his pocket.
Do I get any credit for not labeling this entry "I Heart Little People," which would have been entirely appropriate and not at all patronizing given today's holiday?
*Confused by how to pluralize the word dwarf, I came across this on Wikipedia: "The form dwarfs is generally used for real people affected by dwarfism; the form dwarves is used for the mythical people described by Tolkien and others." Good to know. Dwarfs= real. Dwarves= fantasy.
Posted by debbie at 8:15 PM | Comments (0)
February 10, 2008
Just about every Monday since we moved here, I've been volunteering as a mentor to an 11 year old girl. I was matched up with her through a local refugee assistance organization. She lives with her mom, a friendly if not understandably stressed-out woman who works insane hours in the deli section of a nearby supermarket. They've been here for a few years, having emigrated from Laos, so the kid's command of English is pretty good but she spends a lot of time home alone and is struggling with her schoolwork. I haven't spent time with kids this age since I was a camp counselor straight out of high school (and those kids were generally pretty privileged and native English speakers) so I find it difficult to gage where she is at intellectually and socially in relation to her peers. But, from what I can gather thus far, she's a fairly well adjusted kid given what she has gone through in her short life. She's also incredibly energetic and candid. During our first meeting, she asked me what I look for in a man and how much I paid for my shoes. We're still getting to know each other but she's very trusting of me and I'd like to think I'm making some kind of positive impression on her. Sometimes I take her out to the park or to a cafe or sometimes we just go through homework. We've gotten into a groove and, as much "help" as I'm offering her, she gives me a much needed rhythm to my week.
So every week I take the J Church to her house. The J is great because it's above ground and the views are stunning. The way it snakes its way through Dolores Park and ducks into its own private right of way through some backyards remind me of Mr. Rogers' Land of Make-Believe, like I'm in a miniature replica of San Francisco.
When I get off the train, I walk a few blocks uphill to her house. On the way there's a community garden where her neighbors grow neat plots of vegetables and herbs. Once she pointed out where the lime tree was and hopped up to pick a few off the tree and gave me one, and told me they were extra juicy. "And free," she whispered, as though it was our little secret. The limes were good, indeed. Anyhow, when I get to their door, I ring the bell and usually have to wait a few minutes before the mail slot creeks open and two large eyeballs peer out. She's too short to look through the peephole so she looks through the slot. I love little people.
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February 9, 2008
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February 7, 2008
Gosh, judging from my entry the other week, I'm really delicado aren't I? Like a little flower that wilts when it's cloudy. But now that Spring is in the air and the sun has been shining brightly on my pale sad-sack self, I'm beginning to regain the pep in my step.
I volunteered to host an alumni event tonight for my alma matter's journalism school. NYU is not the type of school with a strongly connected alumni base but I thought I'd take the initiative and see who might be out here. I had a bunch of positive RSVPs and I was feeling pretty darn pro-active in creating my own networking opportunities. Well....one person showed up. Ok, two if you count the slurry-speeched old weirdo who introduced himself, pretended he had also gone to NYU (though minutes later admitted he had never been outside of California), and also claimed to be the inventor of the solar panel!
It was uncommonly mild out so I decided to walk home. As I innocently sauntered along, I counted how many people I saw doing drugs. Four groups of people: 1 count of crack (or so it appeared, could have been meth?), 1 heroin shooting-up scenario, and 2 weed-smoking gatherings. The last one was next door to our apartment building, a group of hooded teenagers puffing away on blunt in a very well-lit doorway. This city is loads more lax than New York, that' for sure, and the community and the police in general seem to turn a blind eye to such flagrant and public drug use. A while ago I literally walked over some kids shooting up in the middle of the sidewalk on Market Street right during the evening rush. I'm still amused that I smell pot EVERYWHERE in this city. I get a contact high just walking the few blocks to the grocery store. It's not just Spring that it's in the air, I guess...
Posted by debbie at 10:23 PM | Comments (0)
February 4, 2008
Scoring with Guacamole
I find the SuperBowl strangely meditative. I could care less about the game but I enjoy watching nonetheless, even with all the ra-ra face-painted fans, the glaring seizure-inducing lights, the obscenely commercial spectacle of it all. The fact that I don't really understand the rules almost enhances the experience. I just let the glow of the television wash over me and I drift into a meditative trance. But I still have a few unanswered questions. What kind of padding are the players sporting under their spandex pantaloons? Or is that natural? And what kind of name is Plaxico? Has there ever even been another person by the name of Plaxico? And, really, how can people who are usually so reserved get so emotional over a game?
Anyhow, maybe I don't get it. But here is my go-to guacamole recipe. I bring it to parties. People enjoy it. If you're not already in the habit of making guacamole, here you go.
Guacamole is one of those snacks that everyone loves to eat but hardly anyone goes to the trouble of making because it has to be made fresh. Shelf life is a few hours tops..And good Hass avocados (the only way to go) are usually expensive but not nearly as expensive as getting it served to you "table side" and being charged upwards of ten bucks for the privilege. Make it yourself at home. Or bring it to a party. Trust me.
Remember that much of this is done to taste because of the variability in the fresh ingredients.
GUACAMOLEFirst, cut the avocados, take out the pits (you can accomplish this with a swift chopping motion directly to the pit and then twisting it out), scoop the flesh out with a big spoon (or your hands) and add them all to a medium size bowl. Crush the avocados roughly with a fork.
- 3-4 ripe Hass avocados
- ½ red onion, minced (about ½ cup)
- 1 plum tomato, seeds and pulp removed, diced
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh chopped cilantro leaves with a few extra springs reserved for garnish
- 1 tablespoon finely minced jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed (optional- you could also use a pinch of red pepper flakes or a splash or two of hot sauce instead)
- One lime
- Salt and pepper to taste
Add onion, tomato, and half cup of cilantro. Squeeze in half of the lime and mash until mixture is fairly smooth but with discernible avocado lumps.
Salt and pepper to taste and then add additional cilantro and lime to achieve desired lime-cilantro flavor. Add jalapeno (optional) to taste and mix gently once more.
Garnish with extra cilantro leaves and serve with tortilla chips.
Serves around 4 normal people or 1 guacamole hog.
Note: if not serving right away (though you really should) press plastic wrap directly on the surface of guacamole and put in fridge until ready to avoid discoloration.
Posted by debbie at 12:19 AM | Comments (1)
February 3, 2008
Israel
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