Productive Saturday

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Yesterday I got quite a bit done:

  • Got day old bagel’s from Biff’s for the next week and a half of breakfasts.
  • Did 4 hours of math hw (still not done…)
  • Washed the kitchen floor, beat/washed all the rugs, and did a mountain of dishes.
  • Filled out and mailed my ballot.  Hooray for early voting by mail!
  • Went grocery shopping.
  • Chopped, cooked, and pureed two large butternut squash. (This isn’t done – my poor blender got too hot, so I have to finish today and then freeze it all.)
  • Studied for my ecology class for two hours.
  • Caught up on blogs/news reading.

I also drank emergenC and hot tea and tons of water all day long in an attempt to get rid of my cold.  For dinner, I made a vitamin C-rich salad with chickpeas and mustard greens.  It was very tasty.  I love how spicy mustard greens can be – a few bites definitely brought tears to my eyes.

Chickpea Salad with Red Onion and Mustard Greens

  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • a can of chickpeas
  • about 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced mustard greens
  • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings

In a smallish bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, oil, and mustard.  Stir in garlic and orgeano.  Put the chickpeas, mustard greens and onion into a medium bowl.  Add the dressing and toss well.  (My CSA newsletter tells me this recipe is from The Good Herb: Recipes and Remedies from Nature.)

Hopefully I’ll be as productive today!

NCSSM reunion

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Last weekend I went to my five year high school reunion.  I was so excited about going, and I was not disappointed one bit.  It was the best weekend I’ve had in a long long time. I forgot how amazing it was to be around so many smart, passionate people.

I spent Sunday afternoon at my grandmother’s house and half of my relatives stopped by. It was the least stressful family event I’ve been to in a long time.

Mom’s zucchini bread

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You know those gigantic zucchini you get from your garden towards the end of the season when you already have more zucchini than you ever want to eat?  My mom used to make bread out of those and freeze the loaves for us to eat all winter.  The botany club garden had a few of those gigantic zucchini, so I had my mother send me her recipe. I made enough to fill up both of my bread pans, two cake pans, and two muffin pans and have been sharing with anyone who will eat it.

Reviews from friends:

Delicious!

It doesn’t taste like vegetables at all!

The best muffin I’ve ever had!

I’m trying not to eat all the bread you sent home with Anna, but…

So that you can also make the world’s best zucchini bread, I’ve reproduced my mother’s recipe below with advice.

Mom’s Awesome Zucchini Bread

  • 2 1/2 c. sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/4 c. cooking oil
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 3 c. flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 3 c. grated zucchini (unpeeled)
  • 1 c. crushed pineapple (drain, but don’t squeeze every bit of the moisture out)
  • 1 1/2 c. coconut
  • 1 1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans (walnuts are better)

Beat together sugar and eggs until creamy.   Add oil and vanilla; mix.  Add dry  ingredients.  Add zucchini and mix.  Add pineapple, coconut and nuts.  Mix.  Bake in a greased and floured pan for one (1) hour at
350degrees,  Makes 3 loaves or 1 Bundt.

After adding the dry ingredients, the mixture will be almost like cookie dough, but will get very soupy once you add the zucchini and pineapple.  This is a pretty dense bread.  I live at high altitude and made it fluffier by not adjusting for that (and leaving extra room in the pan!)  If you overcook the bread, it will be dry and disgusting.  Take it out as soon as a knife stuck in the middle comes out with cooked bits stuck to it.  Making it in a Bundt pan is a great way to make the bread dry, so you probably actually shouldn’t do that.  All measurements are approximate.

WCPE

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WCPE is a classical music station from North Carolina that you can also listen to on the internets.  I listen to it almost every morning while I study and whenever I have to stay up past my bedtime to get extra work done.  It’s gotten me through ridiculous amounts of studying since high school.  They are supported mostly by listeners, which is awesome, except for when their listeners are poor like me.  So, a new goal in life: when I am not a poor student, I will give WCPE more money.  After getting me through school, they kind of deserve it.

Culture of Life

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Last week, I wrote excitedly about What to Expect When You’re Aborting, a blog by a woman who has recently had an abortion and chronicled the process.  Now, most of her blog is private:

i’ve received a few emails from girls who have livejournals and blogs who have been accused of being the author of this blog. one has been receiving death threats.

Death threats, huh?  For people that claim to be promoting a culture of life, threatening to kill someone is just a bit counterintuitive.

Oh my

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I have a lot of work to do in the next few days, so I probably won’t be posting much for awhile.  The next real post you’ll probably see is going to be about my high school reunion, which is next weekend.  I am so excited!  I loved NCSSM and the people I met there and cannot wait to see everyone again.  Bonus points if you can find me in the picture!

Hall dinner at NCSSM

Hall dinner at NCSSM