Freedom at Home

A new movie is coming out called Freedom Writers. It is a touching story about an inspirational teacher who believes in a group of students who have been written off by other people in their lives. She asks the students to begin to write journals, and what happens in the midst of this English class changes these students for the rest of their lives.
Cheesy? Inspiring? Regardless, I recommend it. The true story that the movie is based on took place in an English classroom of a neighborhood school of mine, Wilson, when I was in high school. So go out and see a movie that supports the heroes of the Long Beach Unified School District! Not to mention that it is starring 2 time Oscar winning actress, Hillary Swank.

Please leave it behind

File this under: times that I am embarrassed to be associated with the word 'Christian'. A new video game was recently released called 'Left Behind: Eternal Forces'. The premise is this: you are part of a post-rapture group of Christian converts. Your goal is to convert or kill as many non-believers (infidels) as possible. Blood, gore, point blank murder.....Christianity?

I cannot even begin to talk about how disturbing and utterly appauling this is.

A few quotes:

“Megachurches are very likely to embrace this game.” -Left Behind Games CEO Troy Lyndon

"Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition." -Newsweek

"Conduct physical & spiritual warfare : using the power of prayer to strengthen your troops in combat and wield modern military weaponry throughout the game world." -the game

looking for a christmas gift?

Here I have put together some recommendations of gifts shown to me by a few friends:

"Why Mommy is a Democrat" children's book

(find it here)

The Ex-A knife block for the newly single friend

(find it here)

Aquariass- the Aquarium Toilet

(find it here)

(note: this is not my wishlist)

the pom-pom

For all of the rants and raves about this miracle fruit, I decided to finally buy one and try it. And my expectations were pretty high after paying $2 for just one at the Santa Monica farmers market.
My only question: how the heck do you eat one of these things?
After some experimentation and coaching (thanks Em)-
The answer: less like a grapefruit, more like an orange...

I'm a student!

King said to me the other day, in the most amused tone "You're a student again."
And it feels good to be back.
It's third week already in my program at CSULB. For those catching up, I am in a MA program for Speech Pathology. I have a year of prerequisites to take (undergrad upper div), so it is going to be at least 3 years till I am done. Most people go this route though, because it is such a specified field, not too many choose to get an undergrad degree. So this means that I have a good group of people going through all of this with me. My group is all female; I think out of the 50+ students in the department there are 3 guys. It's really unfortunate, because I think certain clients would do really well if they had a male clinician, but there just aren't too many in the field for that to happen much. On a tangent, last night at the clinic the director commented that the clients are doing better with clinicians using the same language (instead of a translator) or of the same sex. It makes sense-- there is a connection there.
As I said- I went to my first clinic observation last night. It was great! It wasn't the first time I had been at a speech session, far from that. But it stood out more than the others. I think I just love the controlled setting that a University affords in their clinics-- specific clientele, great supervision, high value put on data driven/empirically sound practices. I am again reminded how much I appreciate research and empirically supported practices that come from it.
On a side note, I have become the very talkative, lots of questions girl in class. Alittle surprising, not really. I guess I just forgot about that part of me when I was in those large lectures or intimidating small classes at UCSD. Other people have said that my questions are helpful, but I think I might quiet down.....a bit.

Food for the Vegan in You

Mexican Tomato Rice & Beans

from: Fine Cooking Magazine
serves 6
time: 30 minutes

Two of my favorite people came over for dinner in my new apartment last week, and it is always an adventure to find something to make. As one of the two feels that all meat eaters are going to rot in hell (he told me that last night), I settled on the following recipe paired with portabello and red pepper tacos. It turned out quite scruptious, and we saved an animal that night. I'm doing my part (once every other week?) to liberate our furry friends from the bondage of commercial farming.

Rice

• 1 cup uncooked medium grain white rice (Jasmine)
• 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 jalapeno chopped (leave out the seeds, unless you like spicy)
• 1 can black beans rinsed
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped

In a covered saucepan or rice cooker, simmer rice with 2 cups water for 20 minutes, then remove from heat. While rice cooks, drain tomatoes straining the liquid into a 1 cup measure. Add enough water to the tomato juice to equal 1 cup. Saute garlic and jalapeno in skillet with olive oil for 1 minute. Add black beans, salt, cumin, chili powder, oregano- stir and cook for 1 minute to incorporate spices. Add tomato juice and bring to a boil, cooking for 5-7 minutes until liquid reduces by half. Add tomatoes, cilantro and rice. Cook until warm (1-2 minutes).

Mike: "Bitchin! Love this rice and bean combo. Great flavors from all of the spices and the beans provide a wonderful texture. A 9 on the scale." Katie: "I'm not a big fan of rice dishes, but love this one! Fresh cilantro freshens up the flavors. Pairs well with a lovely Syrah Rose." Nicole: "Alittle dry (Katie and Mike say no), but I would just not boil off as much tomato juice next time. Otherwise, good flavor and very filling."

the hills are alive!

with the sound of muuuuuuuusic.

Ah- just got back from the stage performance at the Hollywood Bowl, and I am wired. It was none of that sing along movie stuff. Just the real thing.

Something has been bothering me though. I feel a bit ashamed of my generation. All the buzz of the youngsters around me was 'hey did you know that Captain von Trapp is played by the dad on Smallville' and 'hey the Liesl character is the girl from Desperate Housewives- Terri Hatcher's daughter.'

Nothing was said (except by the conductor) about the 4 time Emmy winning Marni Nixon (who played the head nun), who was the female lead singing voice in such classic films as The King and I, An Affair to Remember, and My Fair Lady. Not to mention that Captain von Trapp (John Schneider) starred in the original TV Dukes of Hazzard, a TV icon that will last far longer than Smallville.

Is my generation (and more so, those younger than me) so obsessed with pop culture that we fail to recognize industry greats when they are right in front of us? Maybe it's because I watched Breakfast at Tiffany's today for the first time, and have a invigorated appreciation for the classics (except for that strong distaste for their racism), not to mention a love of everything Audrey. (and now I want to watch all of those classic movies I always hear about if anyone is interested or has any suggestions, the ones above are definitely on the list)

I am almost too ashamed to admit though, that through most of the movie I was tracking how Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City was partly modeled after Holly Golightly. And the only way I know that the movie greatly deviates from the book, and even that the book is written by the great American writer Truman Capote, is from a Seinfeld episode.....I'm as bad as the rest of them. Although I will say that I think both Sex and the City and Seinfeld are going to stand the test of time and dare I say be considered classics in their own right.

On a tangent, below is one of my favorite Slim Aarons' photographs:

Capote at Home

Who knew Val Kilmer was funny?

"Can we get Russell Crowe, and Sheryl Crow, the Counting Crows, and the Black Crows together with Jack Black, Shane Black, and Will Smith?"

-Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

It's got to be the funniest thing I have heard in weeks. great movie.

Asian Flavors

I was inspired recently by a friend to start writing about some of my cooking ventures. So this will be a new addition to the blog. Come and see some good recipes that I have tried and loved.

Tonight, I made an asian themed meal for my friend Irene, who frequently gets to be the guinea pig on new recipes. Here they are:

Vietnamese Noodle Salad with Pork Patties (Bun Cha)
and
Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Cham)
from Fine Cooking Magazine
serves 4
time: 20-30 minutes

Salad

• 8-9 oz rice vermicelli noodles (package said 'rice sticks')
• 1/4-1/2 cup julienned carrot (1 carrot)
• 1/4-1/2 cup julienned jicama or daikon (I used jicama, could possible use cucumber too)
• 3 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1 lb ground pork (it is pretty fatty, but yummy! I may try ground turkey next time)
• 1/4 cup sliced green onion
• 1 1/2 tsp fish sauce (this was my first time using it, very smelly, but important for this recipe)
• 1 cup torn lettuce (I used red lettuce, recipe said romaine)
• bunch of torn mint
• bunch of torn cilantro
• salt and pepper

Sauce-- I would recommend cutting this in half, I did not and had lots!

• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 sliced hot red chile- serrano (I omitted this)
• 1 cup water (I think next time less water, maybe cut it half)
• 1/2 cup fish sauce (used alittle less bc I was put off by the smell)
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (used alittle less)

Soak noodles in a bowl of warm water about 10 minutes to separate. Place them in a salted pot of boiling water for 2-3 minutes, and drain. Set aside to cool. Put carrots and jicama in a colander and sprinkle with 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp red wine vinegar, 1/4 tsp salt. Let sit for 10 minutes, then squeeze their liquid out and add to sauce ingredients. For the pork patties combine pork, scallions, 2 tsp sugar, 1 1/2 tp fish sauce, and some salt and pepper. Mix and make into small 2 inch patties. Grill patties on greased grill pan 5-7 minutes each side (you could probably use a regular pan too). Then place the warm patties in the sauce. Assemble platter: first noodles, then greens on top, then patties, and top with sauce. You may want to do this individually so the lettuce doesn't wilt much, and people can control the amount of sauce they put on (hint: not too much). I let everything cool off to serve.

Irene: "Very refreshing, perfect for the hot summer. The noodles are nicely seperated (N: I think the first soaking is key). I love fish sauce!" Nicole: "I love love love the pork patties. I ate one plain to make sure they were ok- delish! I think this would just be good too as pork patties in lettuce wraps"
King: "Fresh"

Asian Style Salad
from allrecipes
serves 4-10
time 15 minutes

Dressing: combine all of the below ingredients, and serve on the side of the salad

• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon hot chile paste (I omitted this)
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2-3 tablespoons of juice from canned mandarin oranges

Salad: combine the below ingredients

• 1 chopped cooked chicken breast
• half a head of romaine lettuce, or a combination of romaine and cabbage chopped
• 1 carrot thinly sliced
• 1-2 green onions, chopped
• handful of chopped fresh cilantro
• handful of crunch chow mein noodles
• handful of canned mandarin oranges

Irene: "I like the thick creamy peanuty dressing" Nicole: "I love this dressing- it tastes like the fancy restaurant style asian salad dressing."

Thai Iced Tea

from a blend of several recipes
serves 2
time 20-30 minutes

I only was only able to find thai tea in a thai grocery store, but I didn't look at a Ranch 99. If you are a friend in the LA area, and are as obsessed with this drink as much as I am I can give you some tea, just ask. I bought 2 pounds of the stuff! It was $2 a pound, so now I can have thai iced tea for 10 cents for the next 10 years!

Tea

• 5-6 tablespoons of thai tea
• 2-3 cups of water
• 2-4 tablespoons of sugar
• 3-4 tablespoons of evaporated milk or condensed milk (use less sugar)
• ice

Everything is an estimation with this one. Steep tea in hot water for 15 minutes. Strain out loose tea with a coffee filter (or paper towel) and strainer. Add sugar to taste. If using condensed milk, add it when the tea is hot and also use less sugar as it is already sweetened. If using evaporated milk, after sweetening tea, chill it in the freezer for 15 minutes, then add evaporated milk. Serve over ice. For rainbow color effect above, put evaporated milk in glass first, then ice and tea.

Irene: "Tastes like professional thai iced tea." Nicole: "I love thai iced tea, and this is the exact thing!"

the people have spoken

www.thebubbleproject.com

Ouch

I have been battling tension headaches for the past few weeks. Today's is particularly bad-- 12 hours straight of headache and the 6 aleve that I have taken throughout the day haven't helped. My headaches are most likely caused, at least in part, to me subconsciously clenching my teeth when I sleep, and sometimes when awake. This behavior is particularly frustrating because it seems that I should be able to stop it. I have already left one job in part because of the stress headaches. Now what am I to do?

This brings me to a bigger issue- the chemical dependence that Americans find themselves in so easily. Two years ago I was taking a preventative prescription medication to address my tension headaches. There is also the option of wearing a small mouth guard while I sleep that prevents me from clenching my teeth. The problem lies in this: the medicine is covered by my insurance, the mouth guard is not (and actually most dental plans do not cover such devices). So what am I to do? Spend $5 on a co-pay for the meds, or $350 for the mouth guard?

Sounds like I will be adding another pill to my daily chemical fix.

Owned!

Taking risks

So I get my hair cut about once every year, because it is simply what I can afford. It is always embarrassing going into the salon that one time and telling the stylist "yes I know, my hair is in terrible shape and there are lots of split ends". And when this year's trip rolled around I decided to go big. I realized that I hadn't paid for a hair cut in 3 years. Last year was free because of a Locks of Love donation, and the year before was a free home-owners promotion courtesy of King.
So this year, I colored my hair for the first time, an then the big mistake: a perm. I know, I know, you are screaming at the screen "What was she thinking?" Well, I have to say that I was misled to think that I could have Carrie's luscious locks with a little chemical perm. Boy was I wrong. Oh, but the good thing is that I got a refund on the money I spent on the perm since it was obviously not what I wanted. So the damage (at least pocketbook damage) isn't that bad.

And the Oscar goes to....

I would first like to thank the Academy for such an honor. This would not be possible without my dear friends and family, that have always believed, always hoped, always loved. Mom, Dad I love you. King you are in my heart. There are so many people to thank.... Sarah Jessica, you inspire me to hair greatness, Katie who orchestrated this Chocala reunion that brought me back to LA, Irene who has stood by my side through the rejection always encouraging me to never give up, Jill and Lindsay who were there with me from the very beginning. Many said that this would never be possible, and doubted me when I made the move to LA a year ago. But anything is possible for those who believe. Keep believing!

Bluebirds are Evil!

Did you know that bluebirds are evil? For the third time (and the second time in 2 days), I came home today to see that my flower box has been violated. The stupid bluebirds pulled out my pansies to bury their peanut (which a neighbor feeds them). My poor pansy, just by its name you know it doesn't stand a chance next to those bully birds! Just look at them, they mean no harm to anyone. I know what to do when bugs are killing my flowers, but birds? Not to mention their obnoxious squawking at all hours of the morning, and let me tell you it is not pretty. Are there measures that I can take? Anyone know what I could do? I've used pesticides, but what do I do for these pests?

If anyone has seen 'Failure to Launch', I feel like the roommate to has that nemesis mockingbird. It's just too bad that my boyfriend doesn't have a BB gun....really

PS: I did get some revenge today. I saw one of those blues with a peanut in its beak, made it drop the nut and fly away. Then I stole its treat and threw it away. Ha Ha little bird, this is war!

LA love

I have to say sometimes LA has its moments. The city has definitely warmed up on me since moving up here a year ago. There have been a few times this past month where I catch myself saying "only in LA". Here are a few of the juicy tidbits....

King and I went to the reunion concert of the Fugees. They are back together and hotter than ever. The concert was amazing and the best part was it was free. We jumped the fence and got up close and personal with the Fugees in the VIP section. Can't beat it. The first American concert of the Fugees since the 90s in the streets of Hollywood. As Wyclef said, it was history in the making.


Last week, I went to my second LA gallery show. This time it was in the very hip Hollywood spot Fred Segal. I always love an open bar and delish appetizers. Good thing it was an exclusive list-only showing because Marsha Cross, otherwise know as Bree Van DeKamp, joined us for the show. She is as beautiful up close as she is on screen. I was happy to see that she doesn't look like a porcelain doll in person.

And last, just last friday, three of my dearest friends and I got together for dinner. This may seem like nothing too exciting, but with everyone's insane schedules and relationships, it is a wonder when we ever see each other. This definitely was an LA thing (this is the first time we have all lived in the same county since high school). Our night started with a conversation about Hooters, and how all of our beaus claim they go for the wings. Well, we thought, why not see for ourselves? So our fabulous female foursome ventured to the local Hooters. And let me tell you ladies, the wings...they were just wings. We did however enjoy our perky (no pun intended) waitress, who commented on everything we asked about with the same exuberant response "It's awesome!"

LA still has more for me to look forward to: a trip to Disneyland, a presentation on the fact and fiction of autism (arranged by UCSD but still counting it as an LA thing), and many more warm winter days.....

It's (almost) over!

Well, it ended up being a virus more serious than the flu, but the good news is that I am better now and back into the swing of things. After completely demolishing my social calendar for a month (I missed 2 birthdays and a trip to Disneyland :( ) and staying in bed until I was so distraught that I started to develop a psychiatric illness on top of my medical one, I am happy to say that I returned to work last Monday. It is amazing that those words would actually come out of my mouth, but there it is in print: I was happy to go to work rather than be at home.

I got just a small taste of what my old roomate Allison had to deal with last year when she got something (that will also remain nameless because after all this is the internet) that left her in the hospital and bed for over a month. I realize now that I was not the best roomate that I could have been. So for all of you out there who have a friend that is homebound for any reason, please go visit them!

Wake me up when this all ends

Day 8 of my battle with the flu.
Log: I am about ready to give up, wave the white flag, and be done with it. For 8 days now I have had fevers, chills, aches, pains, headaches, nausea, coughing....... I didn't think it was possible. I was in fact so surprised on Day 6 of fevers etc that I went to the doctor. I am growing more and more sure that doctors have become useless. Her advice: get some rest and drink fluids. I wanted to shake her and say 'Are you kidding me with this?' Because I work with kids with special needs, I was particularly concerned with whether or not I was contagious on Day 6 of fevers etc. Dr. Know-it-all said "Well, you really shouldn't be very contagious now." What in the world is that supposed to mean?
All I can say is that I wouldn't wish this year's flu on anyone.....well maybe Dr. Know-it-all.

Happy 2006!

Well, I am back to the grindstone. But in my dreams, I am still relishing the short secret/fake vacation that I took. Here are some pics:

Off with his head! My first time

making gingerbread cookies.

Katie, Jill, Lindsay and Nicole's 8th

Annual Naples Christmas Decorating Contest-

that's the winning house, doesn't it look like it's snowing?

Christmastime in SF- always a joy