The Mad Katter

Camping

2011-10-03T19:50:00.001-07:00

Mad Scientist and I finally got out camping this weekend. (My friend came up with the name for my man, I'm trying it out to see how it fits.) So anyway, we met a friend at Kettle-Morraine State Park for a night of camping, complete with hotdogs, baked potatoes, baked corn, onions, and smores. Tin foil wraps cook anything. I was informed by our friend that it was a 'man's' way of cooking. I just thought it was a brilliant idea since we have yet to fork out money for camping cookware. I guess I'm just full of manly ideas.

Our campground was gorgeous, and except for a few rambunctious neighbors a few sites down, it was quiet and empty. Sunday we hiked on the Ice Age trail, and I now have an aspiration to hike the 30 miles that runs through the park. On the way home Mad Scientist and I stopped at Aztalan for the first time. Of course I had to climb all of the mounds, while MS took pictures. It was a beautiful day in Pre-historic Wisconsin.

Storm

2011-09-26T10:22:00.001-07:00

Beautiful storm on a Sunday afternoon in Racine, Wi. The man and I took some time this past weekend to catch up with friends and family. During a break in activities we took a peek at the lake to catch some serenity and found Lake Michigan in one of its most beautiful arrays yet seen by our eyes. It was gorgeous.

Zucchini Lasagna

2011-09-18T15:29:00.000-07:00

In response to a request for the recipe for zucchini lasagna, a Martha Steward recipe:

Ingredients:

Olive oil
8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
1 15 oz container of part-skim ricotta cheese
Salt and pepper
2 edium zucchini (8 oz each) haved lengthwise, then sliced thinly crosswise
1 garlic clove, inced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
6 no-boil lasagna noodles
2 ounces shredded (1/2 cup) part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil an 8-inch square baking dish; set aside

In a medium bowl, stir together cream cheese and ricotta; season with salt and pepper. In another medium bowl, combine zucchini, garlic and oregano; season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.

Spread 1/3 zucchini mixture in prepared baking dish, top with two lasagna noodles then 1/3 ricotta mixture. Repeat twice with remaining zucchini mixture, noodles, and ricotta mixture finishing with the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese (I ended up using a 10-oz bag of mozzarella cheese to top it off, but it's up to you)

Cover baking dish with aluminum foil; bake until bubbly and noodles are tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove foil; bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes more. Let stand 10 min before serving.

This lasagna was AMAZING, and for my husband, who doesn't like tomato sauce, it was perfect. I'm going to add spinach with the zucchini next time I cook it.

Happy cooking!

Martha Stewart Madness

2011-09-13T16:30:00.001-07:00

Ok I have to post this because I am so satisfied right now from this meal. NEVER again will I say a negative word about Martha Stewart! I just made this lovely but super easy sauteed mushroom and chicken and it was AMAZING!

Hoop

2011-09-11T18:19:00.000-07:00

I finally did it! I had my nose re-pierced. It was a spontaneous happening, but I have been wanting it back for at least a year now. I went with a friend to Steve's Tattoo on Willie Street, Madison to give her moral support for her first tattoo, and then found out that they would give me a discount to have a hoop put directly into my nose at a very descent price. I highly recommend Steph the tattoo artist and piercer. She did a beautiful job with my friend's tattoo, and handled my nose with the highest expertise. She even pierced it so my old scar doesn't show much, which was my main concern in re-piercing it. I am very happy with it. And I am saving my pennies now for my first tattoo, which I will take to Steph for consultation. Everyone in the shop was extremely friendly, and eager to help and discuss options with their customers. Highly recommend.

2011-09-09T19:27:00.000-07:00

Well hello, I'm back! The man and I have been very busy this year. I have barely had time to breathe, but in the midst of it all, we have had a good year and now Autumn is nearly upon us and I'm all motivated again to start blogging!

This year has been a many firsts for me...one of which involved this happy little picture above. Derek and I getting the moves on at a wedding. It was quite fun, the most fun dancing I've ever had...and best because I danced like crazy with my hunny and I didn't care one bit how we
looked.

Another first was being a bridesmaid - first for my best friend Debbie, then my sister. I got to be the one throwing showers, ironing tablecloths, cleaning, making food and best of all...keeping the bride sane. I really enjoy that job alot. I also realized why I'm thankful I didn't have a blown-out wedding myself. Not that I have anything against them, and the two weddings I was in were FANTASTIC, ladies and two of the most gorgeous I've ever seen...but they're just not my style and I would rather be the 'behind the scenes' standing next the bride and helping her out. But they were marvelous and I'm so proud of my two ladies and their respective hubbies. Besides that, it's just fantastic having more married relatives/friends, and seeing their love grow oh so beautiful. Ok, so that's my romantic side coming out...I'm so proud of you, Emilee!

And, of course, I canNOT forget this summer without mentioning quite a big feat - climbing Mt. Whitney. Words cannot describe that event. It was one of my absolute goals in life. I would not have forgiven myself if I did not do it, and the chance arose this particular year because of my Dad, who surprised me with providing the climbing permits and it fit directly after my sis' wedding, so guess who took a second week off for work just to climb that beast? Yup, I would not have passed up that chance in a million years, and Dad made it so easy for me by providing the food, gear, and words of encouragement.

Before that epic event, I remember distinctly announcing to my sister Beth in my most swaggering (and ignorant) tone that I was going to tame the beast. And yet....it seemed to 'tame' little ol me. It was a week long hike, and it did not let me down on the challenge part. No. But I did not let myself down either, in meeting them. Before I start preaching on the values of physical feats in our little human lives and lessons learned, let me explain. It was a very personal, emotional, and physical adventure. However it was one of the most rewarding experience of my life, and I will never forget the five hikers who made it so. As I reached the peak, gasping thin air and stumbling to the top boulder, I started crying like a baby. I stood in disbelief as my buddies congratulated me, the world beneath my feet, Death Valley swallowed up in the smog. (A last note on the serious side and then I'll lighten up, I promise.) But getting up was half the battle. Getting down the gargantuan was a different story, and one that came with many a scare, some hysterical hypoxial (is that a word?) laughter, and tears. I will never forget you, Mt. Whitney. You definitely tamed me, not the other way around. Now that I've accomplished something so big (in my book) I have begun to fling doubt away from my mind more quickly than before. I hold it dear in my little
heart.

Unleashing

2011-03-21T18:59:00.000-07:00

Times in MadCity have been crazy this past month, and my quest for peace has led me back to blogging. I really want to be able to express my feelings during all of this turmoil in a positively constructive manner, and yet still carry on the passion within me. I've decided to let my passions soar in a geniune way that expresses me. So, here goes my first post unabashed.

I really love Madison. It has become home to me so fast. It is so beautiful here and the people are so open and inviting. Can I just say this 91-year-old woman is my hero? She has come every day to protest at the capitol in Madison because she is standing up for her rights and those of others. This picture is a good representation of the fight we are fighting here in Madison.
via @MSpicuzzaWSJ on Twitter

Featuring a Talented Bloggist

2010-08-08T12:55:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce a new and promising blog from my sister, Emilee. She is a talented individual and I am excited to see what she does with her new little corner of the web. I love it already.

To see the blog of my sister, click here: Emilee

Lakeside Ripples, Dedicated to Monet

2010-07-23T01:00:00.000-07:00

My latest Etsy piece, I would like to dedicate to Claude Monet. I went down by the lake a week ago to sort my thoughts and to draw. I didn't know what I would find, but I walked to my favorite bench and sat down. This beautiful scene in front of me made its way to my drawing pad, and I was lost for an hour, deep in charcoal smudges, completely ignorant of time and the gnats flying around me. This drawing was produced, and with the final highlight touches, I now love it.

There's nothing better than a plein-air drawing. Monet and Van Gogh, and all the famous impressionist artists painted plein-air landscape, meaning they went out into nature to paint. In order to capture the light in its moment they painted quickly, or went back at the same time of day each day (the sun moves quickly, so an hour will shift shadows and screw with your drawing!). I have a hard time with landscape, but I am determined to do it the old-fashioned way, out in nature, like my god of art, Monet. I discovered Monet as a little girl, and was enthralled by the incredible genius of his work. This, my waterscape drawn in plein-air style, is dedicated to Claude Monet.

If you would like to visit my Etsy shop, click on the link below

NomadCreations

The Dock

2010-07-14T23:22:00.001-07:00

This is the dock up the road from our apartment. It's the perfect sunset-viewing spot.

Sushi!

2010-07-14T23:10:00.000-07:00

I made my very first decent attempt at sushi rolls! I was very pleased with myself, though I am no expert yet. I love to munch on nori (the dry seeweed sheets) and subsequently managed to get Derek hooked on them, til one day he suggested I try sushi rolls since we eat rice all the time and eating sushi is one of our forms of nirvana. I am excited to show you all my first wrapped roll. For filling, I used shrimp and avocado. They were delectable. I am new at this, so I will wait on posting any recipes as of yet. I rolled these by hand, but I just bought more sushi gear, including the bamboo sushi mat.

Fairy Mad-Land

2010-07-01T14:34:00.000-07:00

Hello all. To some, this town is called Mad-land. To me right now, it is fairy-land. I am reveling in the beauty surounding us, with crooks and crannies to explore. I hope you all enjoy some of the things my little camera has captured.

Spinach and Mushroom Lasagne

2010-06-17T17:56:00.000-07:00

Spinach and Mushroom Lasagne

So, with our new life in Madison and the amazing Vegetarian/Vegan climate, I have been more inspired to be healthy, whole, and veggie-friendly. This partiticular lasagne dish takes a little bit of work, but it is very healthy, vegetarian, and vegan if you omit the cheese and use vegan margarine instead. We like our cheese too much to be vegan, and I added it into the dish and it was absolutely perfect! If you are apprehensive about the tofu, I promise you that it blends in so well you cannot even tell it's there. If you really don't want tofu, use ground beef instead. Derek absolutely loves this dish, which is amazing considering it is vegetarian, so BE BOLD and try this at home!

1 lb Spinach
1/4 cup of margarine or coconut oil
1 tsp dried marjoram
Sea salt as required
Black pepper as required
1 lb of firm tofu (one box)
1/2 lb mushrooms
4 TB whole-wheat flour
2 tsp soy sauce
8 - 10 oz whole-wheat lasagne noodles
1 lb mozzarella cheese, grated

Wash the spinach and then cook in a big pot or large skillet till the spinach cooks down. Don't add any extra water. Strain the spinach out and save the liquid.

Chop the cooked spinach and add part of the margarine, seasoning it with the salt and pepper and marjoram. Then crumble the tofu into the spinach mixture and mix altogether.

Chop the mushrooms and saute in the margarine/coconut oil. Add the spinach juice that you previously saved (should be about 1 and 1/3 cups, if not add water) and then thicken with the flour and add soy sauce.

Cook the lasagne noodles in salted water (about 15 min)

Layer your dish (I use an 8 X 8 casserole dish) with noodles, then spinach/tofu mixture, then the mushroom sauce, and then I top each layer with mozzarella cheese. The final layer should end in cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for half an hour, or until hot all the way through and cheese is melted. (It was 20 minutes for me)

Recipe is from: Vegan Cooking for Everyone by Leah Leneman

Time warp

2010-06-12T21:25:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Well, I know it's been awhile. But until I get a chance to really get going again on my little corner of the web, I'll give you a sneak peak at our new place!

Yes, our belongings fit.

27 forever...

2010-04-27T07:22:00.000-07:00

Hey all, I am officially 27 and never happier. I have always looked at 27 as my prime age, for some reason. This year will be fantabulous! To get ready for this new age, I got my hair done again, and have a new skirt that I'm dying to try whenever the weather decides to stay warm! Happy Tuesday everyone!

Highschool Students Combat Christian Hate

2010-04-04T08:28:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,

Spring is here! I would like to share something incredibly beautiful. Fred Phelps' activists (pastor of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka Kansas) paid a visit to Gunn High School in Palo Alto, California. Fred Phelps is one of the most abhorrent Christian activists, who claims that natural disasters and the fall of nations are God's punishment for tolerance of homosexuality. They are known to picket with hateful signs that say "Fags are Beasts," "You will Eat your Babies," and "You are going to Hell." Well, Gunn Highschool students, parents, along with their supportive community gathered and protested peacefully against the picketers, holding signs about love and acceptance, singing songs like "This Little Light of Mine," "We Will Overcome," and some classic Beatles songs. They met hatred and disgusting bigotry with pure love.

My fellow Humans, this is so beautiful! On Friday, April 2, 2010, highschoolers banded together to embrace and love in the face of such aggressive hate and condemnation. This gives me such hope for our society and our planet. Today, I am celebrating Diversity and Love as spring reminds me of the beauty of our Earth and this wonderful adventure called life. Do you have a story to tell about the beauty of life? Celebrate with me!

Click on the link below to watch this moving story:

Gunn High school

It's that time again..

2010-03-31T20:12:00.001-07:00

Time to move!!! I w ould like to announce our decision to move to Madison, WI. We will be moving directly after graduating this May.We are so excited, we have been a ll smiles and sunshine all week, and the weather has m atched our mood with gusto.

Derek bought me a new hat, so I had to show it off!

Here are a couple of soon-to-be Madison dwellers. Any tips? Anyone lived there? Let me know, dear readers.

Final Review: Iowa City

2010-03-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

I apologize for not following up on my last blog about Iowa City until now. Here are some pictures I took while I wandered around on that Friday.

I accomplished most of my exploration list:

- I grabbed a soy coconut latte at Capanna and ordered a veggie sandwhich and salad for lunch at the joint cafe

- I explored the campus AND made it to McBride Hall, which not only is the anthropology building, but contains an amazing museum of natural history (including the most amazing collection of mammal skeletons!)

- I did enjoy the wonderful sunshine and I did smile!

- I met Derek after his last meeting for the day outside of the physics building at about 4pm and then we walked back to the hotel to get ready for dinner with a physics professor

- Ate dinner with the professor and one of his graduate students at the Brown Bottle, a quaint restaurant and bar just two streets down from the hotel and right in the middle of campus

- I took mental notes on the diversity, attitude, the 'feel' of the campus, etc... and even found the most amazing consignment shop. The attitude seemed very open-minded, people were friendly, the campus was somewhat diverse for being in Iowa, but it seemed a very exciting and busy atmosphere

- I did not end up going to the library, nor to the Red Avocado, mainly because I got sidetracked by the museum (but it was worth it!)

- we soaked in the hotel's hot tub - a perfect ending for our day

- the information I gathered about local living consisted of Derek's information he gathered from other graduate students, as well as the dinner with Professor Marcus and his graduate student. I asked them lots of questions about living in Iowa, especially because neither were from there originally (Prof Marcus is Austrian, and the student was Chinese). I also took time to drive around and look at campus and off-campus housing. The word was that it was not difficult to find cheap and descent housing because the city is such a college town, and even on the outskirts of the campus there is local public transportation across campus.

Well, folks, it was a lovely little jaunt to Iowa City. It definitely pleasantly surprised me, but it is not top of the list for physics programs. It's a nice college town, but the winters can be pretty harsh (like Wisconsin). Derek was grateful to check it out, but was not particularly drawn in by the program or the current research.

Since that weekend, Derek's been hopping from Uni to Uni: to U of Colorado at Boulder, and Georgia Tech (chemistry programs) and this weekend we both are visiting Madison, with UCR the last to be seen. So far we are both excited about Colorado, but still looking at our options. More to come later...

On the north side of campus, I started noticing alot of frat houses up here.

An old church. There were alot of old brick churches throughout campus, some right across the street from each other.

Old Capitol Building, McBride Hall is to the right.

The consignment shop I found is right in this strip of shops to the right.

Go Obama

2010-03-21T20:56:00.000-07:00

So, commemorating today, the 21 of March, 2010, I would like to announce that the Health Care Reform Bill passed today! 32 million Americans who are uninsured will now be able to afford and receive health care. I know that the Republicans are up in arms about this whole thing and think the sky is falling, the government is becoming too involved. Well, I am very glad they intruded and did something about the health care problem. You see, our society is built upon Capitalism. Now, I don't hate capitalism, no way. But capitalism is rather greedy - based on competition and 'dog eat dog' mentality. That's fine when it comes to the market, but I don't think our health care system should be based on this, and I believe it is a right, not a privilege. No, it will not change overnight, but people, it is happening!

Some things I am excited for about the health care bill:

- subsidies available to those within 100 and 400 percent of the poverty level (so if you're poor, it's ok, the government will HELP you with your insurance)

- insurance companies will no longer be able to deny insurance to individuals based on preexisting health conditions (because that is just EVIL)

- children can stay on their parents insurance until age 26 (damn it, just missed it!...but this is still good)

- (indoor) tanning tax! ok, this sounds weird, but I think that is a good idea because tanning is known to cause CANCER. I like tanning, but....it's a good idea. Maybe they should increase tax on soda and McDonalds, too!

Ok, there's my political post for the year. I was so excited I had to say something, and curious to see whether any of you, my readers, are keeping up on this news.

Iowa City

2010-03-05T09:27:00.000-08:00

Up First: Iowa City

We arrived last night just after midnight in Iowa City, Iowa. Honestly, I was not sure what to expect, as there wasn't much to see but sparsley populated land on the drive down, a few whiffs of skunk and overwhelming evidence of cows and farms. But then we exited the freeway, turned left, and all of a sudden out of the flat farmland rose these giant, great old buidings, lights everywhere, wide brick streets fit for pedestrians (and less for moving traffic), and all this intermingled with city college night life. Oh yes, it was quite alive and bustling when we arrived at nearly 1 am, and it certainly is the place to be in Iowa. The town is built around the university, so basically, the town IS the university. It reminds me a bit of Redlands, CA, except their downtown consisted of a few square blocks, whereas Iowa City is much bigger than a few square blocks.

On the list for today's exploration:
- make a beeline for the coffeehouse I spotted from our 5th floor window, "Capanna - Coffee and Gelato" to energize with a light lunch and some caffeine.
- explore the campus, (meaning walk all over town) including McBride Hall, where the anthropology department lies.
- enjoy the sunshine and smile!
- meet Derek and a professor for dinner
- see what the "Red Avocado" - an organic and vegetarian cafe - is all about
- take notes on diversity, attitude, the 'feel' of the campus, etc...
- find the library
- take a dip in the hottub after a busy day
- conduct an interview with a local? hm....I feel like a reporter

Taming Soul and Curls

2010-03-02T09:53:00.000-08:00

As I get older I have begun to evolve from my crazy years of experimental 'dos to a more definite 'me.' From 10th grade on I have dyed my locks so many different colors -- mahogany bronze, to blazing chocolate cherry, then toyed with dreads for awhile. After that it went super short, a failed-blonde-turned-orange, to black, to many-toned, then purple and various shades of red, and finally deep brown. My hair definitely reflects my personality. Last year I finally tried highlights against my lighter brown hair, but now I miss the dark shades. Today I visited my newly found salon, Urban Trends, where my friend and hairdresser gave me a much-needed trim. This style on me is nothing different, just a healthy trim from last year's 'do, when she rescued my hair from the years of damage I had expended during my experimental years. She gave me a wonderful summer look last May, and I'm going to be searching for a new look to go hand in hand with the exciting adventures that graduate school will bring. Highlights were great for my brother and sister-in-law's outdoor summer wedding, but I am a fan of the darker shades accentuated by loose, long curls and easy-to work with bangs. Again, I love freedom and flexibility. For those of you with natural curls, you know what I mean when I say I have a hard time keeping my locks under control, so it's been easier to put my hair up or just straighten it with my tight schedule during school. But I am considering a curl adventure, but not quite sure which kind of look I want. Maybe I should just go with a short and chiq look.

I happen to be a fan of Zooey Deschanel - her taste in fashion and hair, and I love her constant ability to pull off the best bangs. I would love a 'do like hers, but not sure I can pull it off without looking 16. What do you think?http://www.fanpix.net/gallery/zooey-deschanel-pictures.htm
http://www.celebritywonder.com/picture/Zooey_Deschanel/ZooeyDeschan_Grant_5891001.html

A taste of Belgium

2010-02-14T12:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.cafehollander.com/photos.php

Friday night Derek and I had a night on the town. Our choice was a delightful little area called Tosa Village, just west of Milwaukee. This little town's selling point is "Explore, Shop, Wine and Dine" as it says on its home web page. Reminding me a bit of the European influence of the wine country of northern California, Tosa Village boasts of European flavor as it sits across an ancient railroad track and the Menomonee River. We dined at a restaurant situated directly by the river, Cafe Hollander. Bursting with activity on a Friday night, the two story brick building was filled to the brim with local Wisconsinites, relieved to be out of the icy February evening for a few drinks, lively conversation, and a hot meal. As we entered the building, noise and music danced around the bar on the ground floor of the building as we were guided up to our reserved table on the second level. We ordered the recommended Friday night Fish Fry special, and I perused the list of the most wonderful selection of 'biers' imported directly from family owned breweries in the Netherlands and Belgium. I chose a Belgian Blanche de Bruxelles which was described as "crisp and light with flavors of orange and coriander with hints of pineapple and lemon" (Cafe Hollander beer menu) Being a white bier, it was extremely mild, yet perfect for a light meal of fish and chips. For wine lovers out there, this beer will expand your gustatory preferences as it did mine, and will turn your tolerance of bad beer to an appreciation of tasteful Tap. As I sat savoring the fresh and smooth flavors in between bites of my deluctible fish and tartar sauce, I made a resolution to further explore the world of Belgian beer in future venues.

Two Years

2010-02-09T17:37:00.000-08:00

It's been two years since our February 8th wedding of 2008. This year we celebrated on the 7th, because we both had class on Monday the 8th. Derek surprised me with ethnic food, a trip to the Racine Art Museum, (http://www.ramart.org/ram/home.html ) and we tried a new coffee shop, Dunn Brothers. The photo above where we have those giant plates is at an adorable little restaurant in Oak Creek called La Terraza. At the end of the night, we stopped by Wes and Becky's to catch part of the superbowl with their family. The weather was surprisingly nice for a wintery day, even blue sky peeked out at us from behind puffy clouds amidst the incessant wind. All in all, a wonderful anniversary.

Beginning a new year with a tender book

2010-02-08T12:40:00.000-08:00

Life has been quite chaotic, difficult, exciting, different, and busy. This is why I have neglected to post this year. However, one of the best things I did over the winter break was read this book The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. It is a refreshing read, inspiring and filled with a unique tenderness. It made me laugh, giggle, smirk, reflect, and cry. It is the perfect book for times when the world seems dark and one needs a bit of hope for humanity.(photo courtesy of Elisabeth Dawson)

Tropical vacation...

2010-02-04T22:52:00.000-08:00

I want to be HERE (see below) right now, especially because I slipped and fell on some ice today. So, I am nostalgically wishing for warmer weather, especially in light of our two year anniversary soon to arrive. Here we are, a year and a half ago, much much younger and...tanner...for those of us who see 2 months of sunlight a year.

I love this man

Snow Day

2009-12-10T11:35:00.000-08:00

Jambi thinks that I put the tree up just for her!
For my brother-in-law's birthday, shortly after Thanksgiving, we had a giant Indonesian/Papuan style feast, complete with Yan Yans as you can see above. The favorite of the night was
"STAG BEETLE LOVE IT."
I made this turkey stirfry with our leftover Thanksgiving turkey. I simply shredded the remaining meat, fried it in onion and garlic, added a soy sauce mixture, and then rice with kecap manis (sweet soy sauce). It was very good!

Moqueca de Peixe

2009-11-12T10:44:00.000-08:00

On request for more recipes, I am posting this fish dish I made this week. It is actually a Brazilian recipe, typical of a state called Bahia. 'Moqueca' (mokeka) means 'stew,' and 'peixe' (payshee) means 'fish' in Portuguese. When I looked up 'moqueca' in my Portuguese dictionary, I found a succint description for this lovely meal:

Brazilian fish or chicken stew made with coconut milk, onions, and palm oil.

I did not have this dish while in Brazil, but found it online while searching for fish recipes. Each region in Brazil has their own style of foods, subcultures, and Portuguese accents. Bahia is further north towards the equator, and it is a coastal state, hence the use of fish. Salvador is the capital.

This is my modified version of Moqueca de Peixe. It is subject to change or be updated as I perfect it:

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

2 fish fish fillets
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 lemon's worth of juice
1/2 tsp salt
Fresh ground pepper
Olive oil sufficient to fry vegetables
2 medium onions, sliced into rings
1 med Green bell pepper, sliced
2 medium tomatoes, sliced or chopped
1 tsp minced coriander leaves (or ground coriander)
1 TB tomato paste
3/4 c. Coconut milk
1 tsp paprika

First marinate the fish fillets in the garlic, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Next, saute the onions, bell pepper, tomatoes, coriander and tomato paste in the olive oil. Saute until onions are translucent. Next increase heat to medium high and bring sauce to a boil, add the fish with the marinade until fish is cooked. Lastly, (add the coconut milk and paprika, let it simmer for 1-2 minutes. Serve over rice.

Now, I would like to add that my sauce was not very 'saucy' until I added the coconut milk, so be careful not to burn it. Add the coconut milk sooner if need be.

Review:

I like this dish. The original recipe called for yams, but I thought this was very strange, nor did I have yams on hand, so I simply eliminated it from my test-run. Having looked up a different recipe for the same dish, I see that yams is not necessarily a main ingredient, nor is the tomato paste. It was quite tomato-ish so I am going to try it next time without the paste. But it was very tasty nonetheless, and I will make it again. Going along with my theme from my last post about recipes that are healthy but quick and easy to make, this recipe is probably a 2.5 on a scale from 1 to 5 in speed, a 2 for simple, and I would say a 2 for healthy.

Fine Dining, Bad Timing

2009-11-09T16:29:00.000-08:00

I am realizing more and more how much I love eating well. I have been trying to find a balance between my busy school life and healthy eating. My years since high school were not years that I would boast of as having a well-balanced diet. Quite the opposite. Sometimes I was lucky to eat a meal a day, and other days I ate more than 3 meals. Most of this irregularity was due to my schedule. I was normally too busy to make my own food, so I would eat out, or eat convenient and easy to grab junk food.

There were some benefits from that lifestyle - I have tasted very authentic traditional foods in my travels and friendship circles that have increased my knowledge and gustatory preferences, and now, in my second year of marriage, nearly the third, I am finally beginning to use this plethora of knowledge in my cooking.

One reason I am inspired is so that I can improve my diet. I have been struggling with exhaustion for a few years now, and part of it can probably be traced to my eating habits. With diabetes in the family, I am not anxious to keep leading the life of high sugars, low nutrients, simply because I have no time. the fast way is usually the most unhealthy way. So, I am really looking for ways of cooking that are healthy, delicious, but also take little time to prepare.

I am now on the hunt for these simple but healthy recipies. But what is the healthiest? That which is NOT prepackaged, not boxed or frozen (other than vegetables), and not processed. Luckily Derek and I were raised on foods made from scratch, so we love REAL food. Although I used to think I could not eat healthy meals because of our schedules, I am noticing that there are many ways I can cut down on time, but still eat well. Part of it is also that my practice in the kitchen is leading to perfection. I am able to throw a meal together more quickly because I know what works and what does not work well.

A good way of cutting down on preparatory time is by cooking foods that take less time to prepare. For example: rice. We love rice, and have a ricecooker, which takes 2 minutes to prepare, and 10-15 too cook. Rice goes really well with so many foods, especially if you love Asian food. Yellow rice is another type of rice that is super easy to throw in the rice cooker and press 'On.' I tend to try and keep some type of meat, whether it be ground beef, lean pork, chicken, or fish, in the freezer at all times. Lately I have been loving to cook with fish -- it is a healthier meat. There are many ways of cooking it to mix things up a little (other than frying), and it is quick and easy!

I am working on my Indonesian culinary skills, since I never learned to cook Indonesian food. I found a recipe online for peanut sauce, and I loosely followed it. Well, it turned out to be amazing, and I would love to share my modified version here:

1 can Coconut Milk
1/2 cup of natural peanut butter (I use unsweetened)
4 squeezes of lemon juice
2 TB soy sauce
1 TB garlic, minced
Freshly grated ginger to taste
Sugar to taste (be careful, though - coconut milk will sweeten it a bit, too)

Put all ingredients into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring the peanut butter in as it melts and dissolves into the coconut milk. Once it reaches a boil, put it on simmer, and keep stirring. At this point it will be extremely watery, but thickens and turns creamy pretty quickly - between 10 and 15 minutes. Serve hot.

I am also trying to have more fresh vegetables available in our apartment. The other night I cooked the easiest meal in the world: Corn, baked in foil in the oven with a little bit of butter, salt and pepper 'hot salt', two large potatoes cut into cubes with a bit of butter, salt, pepper, italian seasoning and rosemary sprinkled over the top. These I wrapped in foil as well and baked. And then I baked fish in foil with similar seasonings. I barely did any prepping - other than seasoning and wrapping all of these in foil. Baking time was around 30 - 45 minutes for the potatoes, 20 for the corn and fish. And oh, so tasty.

Karate

2009-10-07T20:34:00.000-07:00

He who conquers himself is the mightiest warrior. -Confucius

The highlight of every Wednesday is my karate class. Shorei Karate is Japanese, and though our Sensei is a caucasion, half Italian Wisconsinite, the atmosphere resonates Asian culture. The second time we met, we were given a sheet of guidelines of respect in karate, (called karateka behavior) which included points on personal hygiene, respect for the dojo, personal meditation, and respect for other students.

The points about personal hygiene is very East-Asian to me. I was talking to my well-read Mother-in-Law about hygiene in the Middle Ages in Europe versus hygiene in Asia. East Asians had no problem bathing regularly like the caucasians of Northern Europe did. She told me of a book called Shogun, written by James Clavell, which describes the Japanese of the 1600's. This book describes the reactions of the Japanese to the first European contacts, and apparently their first impressions were that the Europeans smelled terribly. I will expound on the description no further until I read the book myself. My point is, however, the history of hygiene of the peoples of the East. In Indonesia, it is common practice to mandi (bathe) twice a day (if not more). In class, it seems to heighten the respect level when we are encouraged to properly care for ourselves before coming to the dojo.

Bowing is something I learned growing up in Indonesia. We did not bow low, as I have seen in Korean cultures, or even Japanese, but we kept our eyes lowered when speaking to authorities, lowered our heads a bit when acknowledging someone older (especially the elderly), and we would bow to pass in front of someone else. It is similar, but much more formal in karate. For the sake of respect we bow to show respect to all authorities, which are the Senseis, we bow to the ancestors of karate (facing east). We also pay respect to the practice floor (the dojo) respect with a bow when walking onto the dojo or off of it.

I have recently been introduced to the concepts of eastern meditation. I am very new to it, so my knowledge is pea-size right now, but it is nonetheless shamelessly inspiring me. I have had a series of daily meditation, about fifteen minutes at a time. My concentration is not focused enough yet - my mind wanders quite easily - but I have read that this is normal for beginners, and takes quite an amount of practice to maintain focus and posture. I could spend much more time on the subject of meditation, but I will leave that for another post. But for now, I will focus on the aspect of meditation in karate. One of the main skills we are reminded every week to learn is how to breathe during training. Breathing correctly will keep us focused, keep us from passing out (which almost happened two weeks ago to me), and preserves our energy so we can work out longer. This is directly related to meditation, in which breathing methods catalyze the focus needed in order to meditate. I know this must sound 'hippie' but it is true. Breathing correctly will direct the focus of the person. I find, that as I use the concepts of what little I have used in normal meditation and transfer that to karate, it helps me remain focused during class.

In respecting ourselves, the senseis, and the dojo, we also respect each other on the floor. We remain quiet during class. There is no laughing, no talking, and no questions to interrupt the class flow. By caring for our hygiene we also respect each other, so we do not distract because of smell or uncleanliness. The entire class keeps a spirit of courteousness, and no one makes fun of anyone else.

Though the attitude of shorei karate revolves around respect and meditation, this class is also very fun. It's exciting to learn a kick, a new punch, and feel as though I am more prepared to handle myself in potentially dangerous situations. I also think it is an excellent way to learn to respect yourself by learning how to breathe, meditate, and defend.

...and to kick ass.

(and yes, I want to be her)

Fall

2009-10-06T19:08:00.000-07:00

The wind is whistling through the trees, scarfs are out, the jackets are revived from their five month slumber: Fall is curious. Its seems to deftly reach within and produce an ebullient anticipation for the oncoming cold weather of which was forgotten all during the summer months. But with the wind whipping and howling as it does now, the skies changing hourly from halcyon sunshine to brewing thunder clouds, a stirring awakens. An urgency to enjoy life.