I have truly been blessed by the gods. Just a little over an hour ago, they smiled down on me. They looked at my whole life, saw how hard I tried, saw how many times I failed, and they decided to bestow upon me a gift. A boon to my brain. A seed of inspiration. Light bulb.
Fuck yeah, I made the best ice cream ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chocolate/Peanut Butter Vegan Ice Cream
(makes 2-4 servings depending on how Ziggy Piggy you get with it)
1/2 cup Dark Chocolate Dreams or your favorite choco-pb
between 1/3 - 1/2 cup agave nectar
1 cup soymilk
1/3 cup chopped semisweet chocolate or chips
Combine DCD, soymilk, and agave nectar in blender.
Blend.
Pour mixture in ice cream maker. Press "On" and wait. When it is cold and thick, but not too hard, add pieces/chips. When it is the consistency you want, eat it.
7.14.2008
Your brain won't believe what your tongue is telling it!
7.04.2008
As it is the summer
Watermelon eating should commence at approximately 7:45 AM, monday - friday, and within two hours of rising on the weekends. Continue throughout the day. Include at least four ounces of watermelonade in the evening, but attempt to drink ten.
Follow this regimen from June until September and you will find your days and nights to be quite delicious. Recipe follows.
Watermelonade
cold watermelon
lime
agave nectar
salt
blending device
place watermelon chunks into a cup or bowl or pitcher.
blend until liquid.
add fresh-squeezed lime juice, agave nectar, and salt to taste.
optional: precede with a liberal shot of tequila.
6.23.2008
A Poll (in lieu of Quiz)
What should you do while you are waiting for a laxative to work its magic? (I ask you to just stretch your imaginations, kids...)
A. Watch a bunch of youtube videos of bands you love and have not yet seen in person (black lips, pj harvey, patty wolf)
B. Watch a bunch of youtube videos and post several on your blog
C. drink a lot of water
D. drink some beer
E. eat several spoons of dark chocolate dreams but not much else cause you hurt inside
F. wish you were a kid again
G. practice the accordion and vow, for the hundredth time, that you will have it professionally cleaned and valves replaced and bellow repaired
H. eat a banana
I. do math homework
J. pray that you won't still be running for the turlet when you have to go to work in the morning
K. find God
L. pet your rabbit
M. unfind God
N. buy more toilet paper
O. eat a Popsicle after you turn off the fans and AC because you're cold - strawberry or tropical?
P. wish you were a kid again, or at least 23
Q. look at the digital photos on your camera
R. worry about money and upcoming doctor bills
S. play with your leftover lunch, don't eat it, because you're afraid the tofu and soba noodles may explode into your abdominal cavity forever ruining the possibility of getting back the stomach you had at 17 (not to mention that kind of explosion would most likely be lethal because you live alone)
T. skip a volunteer meeting (after telling the chairlady/friend that you weren't feeling well, it's not like you stood them up)
U. comment on your own blog posts even before anyone has read them
Okay, a lot of options, but that's the way life is for us middle class folk. at least for now, before the recession turns into a depression.
5.14.2008
Oatmeal
Tornado Warning
Statement as of 8:19 PM CDT on May 14, 2008
... A Tornado Warning remains in effect until 830 PM CDT for extreme
northeastern blanco... northwestern Travis... southwestern
Williamson... extreme southeastern Llano and southern Burnet
counties...
At 817 PM CDT... NWS meteorologists continued to detect a tornado.
This tornado was located near Marble Falls... moving east at 31 mph.
The tornado will be near...
Smithwick... 6 miles north of Spicewood and 9 miles south of Oatmeal
by 830 PM CDT...
The safest place to be during a tornado is on the lowest floor of a
building in an interior hallway... bathroom... or closet. Cover
yourself with blankets... pillows or even a mattress for better
protection.
A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 1100 PM CDT Wednesday evening
for south central Texas. A Tornado Watch also remains in effect until
200 am CDT Thursday morning for south central Texas.
Lat... Lon 3080 9823 3081 9822 3079 9817 3080 9815
3075 9787 3041 9807 3052 9840 3082 9826
time... Mot... loc 0119z 292deg 27kt 3060 9824
2.15.2008
Pumpkin Soup
I made some.
I'm on the couch with my feet up to try and kick this swelling in its ass. Maybe it will be gone by Tuesday morning. Limit the salt, increase the tea.
The pumpkin soup is pretty good, but one cup of o.j. is too much - it's overpowering the pumpkin. I put some in a mug. I just spilled a little on my chest, on the skin, and in wiping it off, flicked it onto my laptop. Ooops.
Perhaps something else interesting to report later.
Lunch: Pumpkin soup.
Brownie.
Strawberry ice cream.
9.04.2007
Dark chocolate dreams
It's my Nutella substitute. Made with peanut butter and dark chocolate, it's not as creamy, but I don't get the itchy dairy throat after having four or five spoonfuls.
Yeah, I said it. Four or FIVE.
8.28.2007
things
I think I am re-turning French. it's in my blood. if I had a holodeck, I'd make it 19th century northern france, on the coast, maybe brittany, and I'd have people over for a fire, calvados, and stew. 
and we'd all probably have terrible skin and consumption, but I'd play us something somber on the violin, and we'd reminisce our youth and the warm summer months, recalling fishing with papa. if I make a turkey loaf, will people come and eat it with me? what I really want is rabbit pot pie, because everyone's eating rabbit in movies and on TV.
watch out stu - just kidding.
6.12.2007
BUg(s) in the Rice
Last night I made some brown rice. It's been in the pantry for a while, but not more than 2 or 3 months. There were a few cobwebs in the bag. Little teeny strings - I wouldn't have noticed except some rice was hanging from it. I made the rice anyway. It would cook any bug that was in there, and from the looks of it, the bugs would be really small (I didn't see any).
So the rice was done and some cooked bug was laying on top. It was brown and about a centimeter long. Looked kinda like a shrimp. Took it out and ate the rice with stir fry. Yummy!
4.25.2007
Q & A with Miss L
Q: Miss L, does Central Mark-up have a ton of chocolate?
A: Excellent question. The chocolate at Central Mark-up is found in four main locations throughout the store: the bins, the baking aisle, the chocolate island, and the temptation lane on the way to the express lane check-out. I will only include these four locations in the analysis as the chocolate that is found in other locations in the store, i.e. seasonal items such as valentines chocolates or easter bunnies, fluctuates and are not present year round.
Let's start with the bins. By my estimation, about one inch of bin chocolate is equal to one pound. The bins are about three feet high. That's 36 pounds of chocolate per bin, about ten bins, that's 360 pounds of chocolate in the bin area. The baking aisle holds considerably less chocolate. Mostly in the form of cocoa powders and chips, I guess the chocolate here most often is available in 10 oz. bags or tins. Probably about 125 of these items. That comes to about 78 pounds of baking aisle chocolate.
Moving on the chocolate island. This is more of the premium chocolate in the form of bars, but also bin chocolate in pre-weighed (and priced) containers. The area is a large display table with the chocolate stacked in attractive baskets. The standard bar is about 10 oz., and the overall area available is similar to the amount of space in the baking aisle. However, because of the shape of this chocolate, rectangles and squares, I would guess there is more chocolate on chocolate island than on the baking aisle. I'm putting this at 100 pounds.
Temptation lane is the wild card of Central Mark-up's "ton" of chocolate. Part of this is due to the configuration of temptation lane: flush against the wall, temptation lane features chocolates (and other goodies) in to-go sizes ranging in size and priced from $2.50 to $9.00 (or so). Here you find the standard 3 oz chocolate bar. Nuts, fruit, spice, marzipan - lots of fillings here. Keep in mind this will be subtracted from the total chocolate weight. The side of the lane against the wall is over six feet high, while the other side is about four feet. Both are approximately a foot deep. Three ounces, two dozen bars a box, at least two boxes of each variety, 100 varieties, that's 7,200 ounces. That's about 450 pounds. Don't forget, we've got to subtract the nuts! Let's cut our losses and round it out to 380 pounds of chocolate on temptation lane.
In total: 360 + 78 + 100 + 380 = 918 pounds of chocolate. But wait! What about the stock in the back of the store? Well, Central Mark-up isn't going to keep that much again in the back, it just doesn't make sense, they don't move the merch that fast. Let's be generous, and say they keep 2/3 of the amount on the floor in the back. Two thirds is about 612, so that comes to 1,530 pounds.
So the answer is No. Central Mark-up does not have a ton of chocolate.
Q: Miss L, how many Topo Chicos would you have to drink to reach the RDA of sodium?
A: Assuming I was on a 2,000 calorie diet, I would have to drink 100 11.5 fl oz bottles of Topo Chico to reach 100% of the RDA of sodium. Incidentally, I would reach the RDA of calcium at 50 bottles.
3.26.2007
For Twinkle Toes
You asked what is shaking. Here it goes:
Up at 6 AM. Work at 7. Very, very sore from practicing Wii baseball so oneday I will beat Pandy Bear. Listened to Martha Wainwright Martha Wainwright (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE her), Kate Bush Aerial, Tori Boys, PJ, pet shop boys, Transformers soundtrack, and assorted podcasts. Spinach salad with tomotoes, salmon, cucumber and dressing for lunch. Scanned and cleaned scanner. More soreness, black ink on nails (which are longer than ever because I am too lazy to cut them. Good thing my toe nails don't grow so fast!)
Deposited check from Pandy Bear (for services rendered), got change to do laundry.
Thought about grad school, job, my This is Good Shit! Chocolate Cake that I will be making for this weekend (for future reference: do not buy chocolate for a cake a week in advance because I will consume most of it), and should I wait for it to stop raining before I take Friedrich out?
Read article from New York Times Magazine about adaptationist and byproduct views of evolution of belief in God (just in time for conversation mom and I had last week. Mom: So why do people believe in God and religion? Me: Um, well, if it has a biological basis, which I believe it does, it is somehow tied to evolution and principles of natural selection. It has to be beneficial or be linked to something beneficial... Mom: Like what? Me: I don't know. Mom continues asking questions with no answers, I continue saying more or less the same thing over and over). I like this Atran guy. Dawkins strikes me as unnecessarily defensive, explosive. Can't we all just get along?
Read other thesis students' two page summaries of thesis. Alton Brown is making things in parchment pouches. I wish Pandy Bear ate fish.
Will I ever be able to enjoy a glass of wine or good martini with little physical problem again? Annual salary: 21, 264. Wtf? It seemed like so much when I wasn't working. I would love to have another bunny, but evidentally, male rabbits are prone to fight with each other, and they molest female rabbits constantly. Dell wireless is fraught with problems.
Coconut sorbet is yummy. Antony and the Johnsons is waiting for me at the library. Library instead of Netflix? I could save about $13 a month. I haven't read a novel since January. I love this neighborhood. I want lots of fruit trees! I prefer rain to cloudy sky.
I tried to include pictures, but for some reason uploading one small photo of Mr. F was taking over 10 minutes, so you'll have to be patient.
PS Kelly broke down when the guy tried to rape her at the dealer's where she was buying coke. Brandon *sigh* rescued her, and she's in rehab now. I know you all were wondering.
2.11.2007
Sheesh! Alright already
Here are some updates:
Still writing my thesis. Working on the methods section or Why I Choose To Base The Hominoid Molecular Tree On This Study Over That One.
I have four books out from Austin Public Library: black swan green by David Mitchell; new moon by Stephanie Meyer; The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger; and Adventures in the Bone Trade by John Kalb. I've read David Mitchell's other novels and loved them in this order: Cloud Atlas, Ghostwritten, Number9Dream. I read the book before new moon, twilight, last month for the bitches' book club - it's a fast, enjoyable teen-vampire-romance novel and not my usual read. Their selection for February is Time Traveler's Wife, which I've heard a lot of good things about, but again, not my usual read. The last is by a geologist/physical anthropologist who lives in Austin, TX. It's about fossil hunting in East Africa and the crazy shit that goes on when you're living in a foreign country during war digging in the ground in 120 degree heat. Or something like that - it's due back in four days and I've got a few hundred pages left.
Stuart bit me a few weeks ago. Bad bunny! I felt so unloved. He must be disgusted by me.
I've been cooking several meals a week. Not just grilled fake cheese and tomato soup, but real meals that take one to two hours until they are finished. So worth it! One draw back: restaurant food is not as good anymore. Not that I'm Julia Child or anything, but I can make it taste how I want and the food is very fresh. No heat lamps here.
I measured the distance that I've been walking with Friedrich around our neighborhood. Two miles! Yippee! That's awesome. It takes us a little over 30 minutes, and I was worried that we were only walking a mile or so. But two miles is pretty awesome - I should wear my pedometer and see how many steps I'm taking. 10,000 steps a day for optimum health! I read something that said Amish men get around 17,000 - 25,000 steps a day which is amazing. The researchers thought this might explain the Amish's low amount of obesity despite a diet high in refined flours, sugar, and meats.
I hope that is good for now. I'll try and think of other things to post later.
12.18.2006
Yummers
Tonight: Mashed potatoes (with skins)
Sauteed mushrooms and brussel sprouts in screwdriver sauce (butter, vodka (thanks for leaving it, P - I owe ya!), OJ)
Baked tofu in peanut satay sauce
9.21.2006
Second to last Thursday of the month
Pandy Bear and I have a new tradition. This will be the second month in a row that on the third Thursday (aka the second to last Thursday of the month) we have celebrated by having a float. No reason in particular. I just read in Real Simple or some other silly magazine that having a tradition is a way to make your abode more home-y. Since I'm not religious, and since there are already enough traditions in the fall/winter, I decided that the summer was as good as time as any to start.
And tonight is great for Float Night. The season premieres of The Office and Grey's Anatomy are on tonight. Yeah, TV! Pandy wants to watch The Office, and don't get me wrong, I do to, but I really want to watch Grey's. He wins, though. He had four cavities filled today! I can watch tomorrow at 8 pm when they rerun the Grey's premiere.
Yes, so Pandy had four cavities filled today. He looked hilarious! His cheeks were so puffy, and he was walking around the apartment with him mouth slightly open. I couldn't stop laughing.
The first Float Night was soooooooo much fun. I know, tradition with food, desserty-snack food, no less, very typical, unoriginal, and unhealthy. That's why it's only once a month! No big commitment, not expensive, just me and Pandy feeling like kids. What more could you want?
And here is a picture of my mother's new puppy, a beatiful little girl named Lilly who came from the city pound. Don't you just love her one-eyedness?
UPDATE: The best news! The Office premiere is at 7:30, not 8:30. Yippee! Now I can watch both!
9.16.2006
Eggs Benedict w/o the Spinach
So I have thrown away the spinach in our fridge. We buy a brand that sells organic spinach and salad mix in those clamshell boxes, and this brand was listed as one of those being pulled from the shelves. Kinda sucks. Love me some spinach! Last night, A-hole made fun of me for throwing it out. Must I remind him I have a compromised immune system, and this strain of e. coli is not welcome in my gut?
So, while on the topic of veggies, I am excited that fall is coming. For the first time, I will attempt a fall garden (albeit a container garden on our front porch) featuring spinach, lettuces, onions, and whatever else lends itself to fall planting in Austin. This renewed gardening spirit is due to the fact that my lantana has several (10-12) small blooms on it! So wonderful! This is happening because - best news - it seems that maybe our days of 100 plus degree heat are leaving. Fabulous!
8.20.2006
The Chocolate Boycott has ended!
I haven't had any yet, but I've decided that the boycott has accomplished what it needed to, namely ending indiscriminate binging on chocolate and other foods with the cocoa bean. I'm not sure how long it has been, maybe a month? I may have some next time it is offered, and I may not. How fabulous is that?
