This soup has a slightly sour flavor, and is rich and hearty thanks to its bounty of vegetables. If you aren't really a fan of sour soups, you can blend all the ingredients in a food processor and serve garnished with sour cream. It will tone down the flavor, and is also a great variant for chilly fall days.
1 pint cherry tomatoes
10 small tomatillos (cut into wedges)
1/2 serrano chile pepper (minced. don't touch your eyes!)
1/2 white onion (diced)
2 small yellow carrots (sliced into nearly paper thin rounds)
2 small red or purple carrots (sliced into nearly paper thin rounds)
1/2 cup sherry
1/3 cup olive oil
3 cups water
3 tsp. freeze-dried cilantro
2 tsp. dried oregano
3 small bay leaves
sea salt to taste (1 tsp. to start)
In a large frying pan (yes, a frying pan. no more huge soup tureens in this kitchen!)combine olive oil, onion, serrano chile, one teaspoon of sea salt, carrots and freeze dried cilantro. Allow to cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until onions are mostly clear. Pour in sherry and stir, making sure to scrape any sediment off the pan with the sherry. Add in water, oregano, tomatoes, tomatillos, and bay leaves. Reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until cherry tomatoes burst and broth color darkens. Taste test, and if necessary add more salt.
Yummy yummy! :)
*If you would like to add meat to the soup, use chicken. Another variation is to top with cheese. I use a blend of Mexican cheeses (asadero, manchego, cotija, queso fresco, or panela would all work).
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Friday, September 3, 2010
Tomate au Gratin
In search of a quick and delicious side that pairs well with pretty much everything? Look no further! Tomate au Gratin is quick, easy, and scrumptious. :)
1 pint cherry tomatoes from the garden
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 oz. shredded monterey jack cheese
2 oz. romano cheese
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 cup olive oil
Mix olive oil, tomatoes, oregano, and sea salt. Strain excess olive oil and seperate mixture into two small ramekins. Coat each ramekin in 1/2 bread crumbs and 1/2 romano cheese. Cover each ramekin with monterey jack cheese. Bake at 350 degrees Farenheit until cheese is browned. Serve and enjoy! :) Serves 2.
1 pint cherry tomatoes from the garden
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 oz. shredded monterey jack cheese
2 oz. romano cheese
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 cup olive oil
Mix olive oil, tomatoes, oregano, and sea salt. Strain excess olive oil and seperate mixture into two small ramekins. Coat each ramekin in 1/2 bread crumbs and 1/2 romano cheese. Cover each ramekin with monterey jack cheese. Bake at 350 degrees Farenheit until cheese is browned. Serve and enjoy! :) Serves 2.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Garden Gemelli
For the carbohydrate-lover who also wants to eat their veggies...simple, savory, and scrumptious.
20 cherry tomatoes fresh from the garden
1 small organic purple eggplant
1 small organic white eggplant
1/4 cup julienne-cut sundried tomatoes
1 clove organic garlic
2 round onion slices 1/6" thick
2 tsp. caper berries (drained)
1/4 cup vermouth
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
dash parsley flakes
dash sea salt
dash oregano
2 tsp. chopped fresh basil (I used a mix of cinnamon, thai, and genovese basils)
1 cup gemelli
2 tsp. grated romano (for garnish)
Season a frying pan with salt, vermouth, olive oil, oregano, and 1/2 parsley over low heat.
Meanwhile, cut eggplant into bite size chunks, mince garlic, dice onion, and chop basil.
Put tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, eggplant, onions, and garlic into frying pan and stir occaisionally, keeping heat low-medium.
In a medium sauce pan, cook gemelli until al dente. Adding salt to the water can enhance the flavor while keeping the pasta from sticking. If you aren't a fan of gemelli, feel free to sub another type of pasta.
If the olive oil, vegetable, and vermouth mixture has thickened, add the water. Increase the heat slightly, being careful to stir the vegetables frequently.
Strain the pasta and add it to the frying pan, stirring continuosly. Add in capers and basil. Reduce heat and cook for 1-2 more minutes, while stirring.
Remove from heat, plate, garnish with romano and leftover parsley. Enjoy! :)
20 cherry tomatoes fresh from the garden
1 small organic purple eggplant
1 small organic white eggplant
1/4 cup julienne-cut sundried tomatoes
1 clove organic garlic
2 round onion slices 1/6" thick
2 tsp. caper berries (drained)
1/4 cup vermouth
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
dash parsley flakes
dash sea salt
dash oregano
2 tsp. chopped fresh basil (I used a mix of cinnamon, thai, and genovese basils)
1 cup gemelli
2 tsp. grated romano (for garnish)
Season a frying pan with salt, vermouth, olive oil, oregano, and 1/2 parsley over low heat.
Meanwhile, cut eggplant into bite size chunks, mince garlic, dice onion, and chop basil.
Put tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, eggplant, onions, and garlic into frying pan and stir occaisionally, keeping heat low-medium.
In a medium sauce pan, cook gemelli until al dente. Adding salt to the water can enhance the flavor while keeping the pasta from sticking. If you aren't a fan of gemelli, feel free to sub another type of pasta.
If the olive oil, vegetable, and vermouth mixture has thickened, add the water. Increase the heat slightly, being careful to stir the vegetables frequently.
Strain the pasta and add it to the frying pan, stirring continuosly. Add in capers and basil. Reduce heat and cook for 1-2 more minutes, while stirring.
Remove from heat, plate, garnish with romano and leftover parsley. Enjoy! :)
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Quick Summer Salad
20 cherry tomatoes fresh from the garden
1/2 large organic cucumber
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
dash parsley
dash dill
dash sea salt
Dice cucumber and halve cherry tomatoes. Mix all ingredients and chill for 45 minutes. Serve.
Quick. Easy. Yum! :)
1/2 large organic cucumber
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
dash parsley
dash dill
dash sea salt
Dice cucumber and halve cherry tomatoes. Mix all ingredients and chill for 45 minutes. Serve.
Quick. Easy. Yum! :)
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Yummy Pita Pockets!
Ok, for those of you who don't live in their kitchens the way that I do, here's a quick and easy lunch or dinner. It packs well for the road, too. :)
12 homegrown cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 pitas
2 sprigs fresh LIME basil (The lime basil adds a really nice citrus kick without the added acid, and still brings in a nice basil flavor as well.)
2 unseasoned cooked chicken tenders (or 4 falafel balls for vegeterian version)
1/2 cup homemade hummus (I'll post a recipe some other day for those of you who don't make your own. Sabra hummus isn't bad if you're looking for a store-bought version.)
4 1/4 inch slices of fresh cucumber, cut in half
Mince the chicken (or falafel). Mix the hummus, cherry tomatoes, basil and chicken (or falafel) until mixture is evenly coated. Heat pita pockets until the sides seperate easily when cut open. Line each pita with 2 cucumber slices and stuff with the mixture. Chill. Can be served after 1 hour. :)
Yum!
12 homegrown cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 pitas
2 sprigs fresh LIME basil (The lime basil adds a really nice citrus kick without the added acid, and still brings in a nice basil flavor as well.)
2 unseasoned cooked chicken tenders (or 4 falafel balls for vegeterian version)
1/2 cup homemade hummus (I'll post a recipe some other day for those of you who don't make your own. Sabra hummus isn't bad if you're looking for a store-bought version.)
4 1/4 inch slices of fresh cucumber, cut in half
Mince the chicken (or falafel). Mix the hummus, cherry tomatoes, basil and chicken (or falafel) until mixture is evenly coated. Heat pita pockets until the sides seperate easily when cut open. Line each pita with 2 cucumber slices and stuff with the mixture. Chill. Can be served after 1 hour. :)
Yum!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Tomato candy edits...
Ok, so instead of juice from a key lime, use the juice from only one half of the key lime.
Other options: Use vanilla instead of lime, and add just a pinch of nutmeg.
All in all, tomato candy came out pretty good. The lime didn't blend as well as I had hoped, but the vanilla blend is quite yummy.
Enjoy!
Other options: Use vanilla instead of lime, and add just a pinch of nutmeg.
All in all, tomato candy came out pretty good. The lime didn't blend as well as I had hoped, but the vanilla blend is quite yummy.
Enjoy!
Tomato is a fruit, right?
I'm tired of savory tomatoes. It's time for a culinary experiment! Using flavors that are often combined with tomato, I've made a candied tomato treat that should be pretty nummy...right now it's time to wait a bit while the oven does its work. The recipe for candied tomatoes my way is below. :)
9 homegrown cherry tomatoes
3 tsp. powdered sugar
1 key lime
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. turbinado sugar
Heat oven to 200 degrees Farenheit. Prepare a cookie sheet by lining it with parchment papaer.
Cut cherry tomatoes in half and place in a small bowl. Squeeze the juice from your key lime onto the tomatoes. Add in powdered sugar and cinnamon, stirring to evenly coat tomatoes.
Place tomatoes on parchment paper, and drizzle remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle with the turbinado sugar, and place in the oven for 2-5 hours until shriveled and slightly chewy. Enjoy! :) This snack should serve 2 people....or maybe just one if it's as tasty as I think it might be...I'll let you know. :)
9 homegrown cherry tomatoes
3 tsp. powdered sugar
1 key lime
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. turbinado sugar
Heat oven to 200 degrees Farenheit. Prepare a cookie sheet by lining it with parchment papaer.
Cut cherry tomatoes in half and place in a small bowl. Squeeze the juice from your key lime onto the tomatoes. Add in powdered sugar and cinnamon, stirring to evenly coat tomatoes.
Place tomatoes on parchment paper, and drizzle remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle with the turbinado sugar, and place in the oven for 2-5 hours until shriveled and slightly chewy. Enjoy! :) This snack should serve 2 people....or maybe just one if it's as tasty as I think it might be...I'll let you know. :)
Yesterday's Recipe....
Ok, so with my brother in town I fell behind on posts. What can I say? We went out to eat. :) It's nice to go out once in awhile. :) While he was here, I did make one cherry tomato recipe: Insalata Caprese (aka Insalata Tricolore). It's not the usual version, so I hope you enjoy! :)
15 cherry tomatoes from the garden, cut into halves
6 oz. fresh buffalo mozzarella cut into 1 cm x 1 cm cubes
3 sprigs shredded fresh organic pesto basil
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. olive oil
dash sea salt
dash ground pepper
Mix tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, 1/2 the olive oil, and balsamic vinegar until mixture is evenly coated and mozzarella has taken on a slightly darker, uniform color. Drain excess balsamic. Stir in remaining olive oil, salt and pepper. Chill for 20 minutes and serve. Serves 2-3.
Yum!
15 cherry tomatoes from the garden, cut into halves
6 oz. fresh buffalo mozzarella cut into 1 cm x 1 cm cubes
3 sprigs shredded fresh organic pesto basil
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. olive oil
dash sea salt
dash ground pepper
Mix tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, 1/2 the olive oil, and balsamic vinegar until mixture is evenly coated and mozzarella has taken on a slightly darker, uniform color. Drain excess balsamic. Stir in remaining olive oil, salt and pepper. Chill for 20 minutes and serve. Serves 2-3.
Yum!
Monday, August 23, 2010
New Twist on an Old Favorite
Recipe number two for today is a summertime version of one of my favorite dishes: Sicilian Caponata. Caponata is an eggplant relish with a sweet and sour flavor, but has a heavy flavor that makes it better for evenings or fall and spring meals. To modify this old favorite for the summertime, I've switched out purple eggplant for the sweeter, less intense white eggplant and used fresh tomatillos and cherry tomatoes instead of canned diced roma tomatoes. For some added freshness, I've used orange bell pepper as well. Enjoy!
2 small organic white eggplants
1 organic orange bell pepper
2 small celery stalks
2 small organic tomatillos
15 small homegrown cherry tomatoes
1/3 medium organic red onion
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
12 raisins or sultanas
1 1/2 tsp. caper berries
1 tsp. turbinado sugar
1/3 cup olive oil
dash of sea salt
dash of fresh ground black tellicherry pepper
Soak caper berries and raisins or sultanas in balsamic vinegar in a small bowl. Chop eggplant, pepper, tomatillos, celery and onion into bite-sized chunks. In frying pan, heat 1/3 of the olive oil, onions, garlic, celery, salt, and pepper until onions are soft. Add in eggplant and 1/2 of the remaining olive oil. Cover and let cook on medium heat until eggplant skin has taken on some color. Add in cherry tomatoes and tomatillos. Recover and cook until cherry tomatoes are starting to pop. Add in balsamic vinegar, remaining olive oil, sugar and pepper. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Add in sulatanas or raisins and caper berries, cover and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and serve as dip, spread, hot salad, or use as a stuffing for chicken or turkey. :) Serves 2-4. :)
Yum! :)
2 small organic white eggplants
1 organic orange bell pepper
2 small celery stalks
2 small organic tomatillos
15 small homegrown cherry tomatoes
1/3 medium organic red onion
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
12 raisins or sultanas
1 1/2 tsp. caper berries
1 tsp. turbinado sugar
1/3 cup olive oil
dash of sea salt
dash of fresh ground black tellicherry pepper
Soak caper berries and raisins or sultanas in balsamic vinegar in a small bowl. Chop eggplant, pepper, tomatillos, celery and onion into bite-sized chunks. In frying pan, heat 1/3 of the olive oil, onions, garlic, celery, salt, and pepper until onions are soft. Add in eggplant and 1/2 of the remaining olive oil. Cover and let cook on medium heat until eggplant skin has taken on some color. Add in cherry tomatoes and tomatillos. Recover and cook until cherry tomatoes are starting to pop. Add in balsamic vinegar, remaining olive oil, sugar and pepper. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Add in sulatanas or raisins and caper berries, cover and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and serve as dip, spread, hot salad, or use as a stuffing for chicken or turkey. :) Serves 2-4. :)
Yum! :)
Temporary hiatus...
Yesterday I took a vacation from cherry tomatoes at the behest of my husband- we went to his favorite burger joint and split a burger and homemade root beer. I can't complain in the least. :) With that in mind, I'm putting two recipes up today. :)
The first recipe is simple, and quite convenient for those of you that don't want to pay through the nose for sun-dried tomatoes and have a wonderful cherry tomato plant at home.
Oven-Dried Cherry Tomatoes
The most vitamin C in the tomato is actually found in the gelatinous casing around the seed. In addition, many of the nutrients in tomatoes, such as lycopene, are made more bio-available by cooking. The following recipe keeps both of these facts in mind.
36 cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. chopped fresh parsely
2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
2 tsp. chopped fresh genovese basil
In medium size bowl mix all ingredients. Let tomatoes marinade covered and at room temperature for 2 hours.
Place marinated tomatoes on baking sheet that has been covered with parchment paper. Place in oven. Turn oven on to 200 Farenheit and bake tomatoes for 10-12 hours or until dry. The best way to do this is to start the recipe after dinner and let the tomatoes bake overnight. :) When you take them out of the oven, let the cool and then refrigerate until use. :) They have twice the flavor of store-bought sundrieds and make a great addition to salads, meats, pastas, sauces, and tons of other yummy foods. :)
Enjoy!
The first recipe is simple, and quite convenient for those of you that don't want to pay through the nose for sun-dried tomatoes and have a wonderful cherry tomato plant at home.
Oven-Dried Cherry Tomatoes
The most vitamin C in the tomato is actually found in the gelatinous casing around the seed. In addition, many of the nutrients in tomatoes, such as lycopene, are made more bio-available by cooking. The following recipe keeps both of these facts in mind.
36 cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. chopped fresh parsely
2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
2 tsp. chopped fresh genovese basil
In medium size bowl mix all ingredients. Let tomatoes marinade covered and at room temperature for 2 hours.
Place marinated tomatoes on baking sheet that has been covered with parchment paper. Place in oven. Turn oven on to 200 Farenheit and bake tomatoes for 10-12 hours or until dry. The best way to do this is to start the recipe after dinner and let the tomatoes bake overnight. :) When you take them out of the oven, let the cool and then refrigerate until use. :) They have twice the flavor of store-bought sundrieds and make a great addition to salads, meats, pastas, sauces, and tons of other yummy foods. :)
Enjoy!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Not your mama's Bruschetta...
After a wonderful trip to a nearby farm where we picked fruit and basil, while hunting for the perfect veggies, we stumbled across a bag of delicious goodies- tomatillos. As a result, we decided to continue the west-Mex theme, and invited our cherry tomato's cousins to join the party tonight. Tomatillo is taking the lead for this unconventional, and yet still fabulously delish bruschetta, and since it's summer, we're grilling the bread in the backyard. We still snuck in those cherry tomatoes, though!
1 french baguette, cut into 1/2 slices
1/4 cup diced organic red onion
4 sprigs fresh organic genovese basil
2 large diced organic tomatillos (green variety, de-husked)
9 medium-sized quartered homegrown cherry tomatoes
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 dash sea salt
1 dash black pepper
In medium frying pan, combine onion, garlic, tomatillo, and 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Stir until onion, garlic, and tomatillo are lightly coated in olive oil. Heat until tomatillo flesh has turned from white to light green, or is softer in texture. Remove from heat and cool.
Finely mince basil. In a medium bowl mix basil, salt, and pepper with tomatoes. Add the remaining olive oil and balsamic vinegar until mixture is evenly coated.
Combine all ingredients in the frying pan that was used to cook the tomatillos, onion, and garlic (making sure that the heat is off).
Cool mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes, and heat up your grill.
Brush baguette slices lightly with olive oil and place on the grill until lightly toasted. Cover with bruschetta mixture and serve. :)
1 french baguette, cut into 1/2 slices
1/4 cup diced organic red onion
4 sprigs fresh organic genovese basil
2 large diced organic tomatillos (green variety, de-husked)
9 medium-sized quartered homegrown cherry tomatoes
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 dash sea salt
1 dash black pepper
In medium frying pan, combine onion, garlic, tomatillo, and 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Stir until onion, garlic, and tomatillo are lightly coated in olive oil. Heat until tomatillo flesh has turned from white to light green, or is softer in texture. Remove from heat and cool.
Finely mince basil. In a medium bowl mix basil, salt, and pepper with tomatoes. Add the remaining olive oil and balsamic vinegar until mixture is evenly coated.
Combine all ingredients in the frying pan that was used to cook the tomatillos, onion, and garlic (making sure that the heat is off).
Cool mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes, and heat up your grill.
Brush baguette slices lightly with olive oil and place on the grill until lightly toasted. Cover with bruschetta mixture and serve. :)
Friday, August 20, 2010
Chorizo con papas y jitomate (a little west-Mex fun...)
We were in the mood for a tongue-scorching and flavorful experience, so today's lunch involved a little west-Mex kick. I hope you like it! A word on substitutions - do NOT sub green pepper for the orange bell pepper. Red would work, but green will change the flavor. Feel free to swap the beef chorizo for veggie chorizo, however.
1 large local beef chorizo link, chopped into 1/4" slices
1 diced organic orange bell pepper
4 sprigs of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/3 cup of water
1/4 cup diced red onion
10-20 fresh cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
1/4 cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil and herb marinade
1/3 cup of your favorite salsa (I use Salsa 505 - organic and yummy)
2 small cubed potatoes (preferrably red skin or large swedish peanut fingerlings)
1/2 cup Kerrygold Dubliner cheese, grated
1 1/2 key limes
In large frying pan, combine bell pepper, water, onion, cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, salsa and water. Cover and cook over medium heat until mixture starts to boil. Add potatoes, cover, and reduce heat. Once the liquid has begun to form a sauce, add chorizo and cheese, stirring until cheese melts into the sauce. Cover and cook until sauce is nearly uniform in texture. Add half of the cilantro, and stir. Remove from heat, serve, and garnish with remaining cilantro and 1/2 key lime per person. Serves 3.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Cherry Tomato Collapsed Lasagna
No pictures this time, folks. It's not a pretty dish, but it's comfort food. :)
3 sheets parboiled lasagna
12 small cherry tomatoes fresh from the garden
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. organic tomato sauce
1/2 cup champagne or other sweet white wine
5 sprigs organic fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh wild mushrooms (or reconstituted freeze-dried wild mushrooms)
1 cup fresh ricotta
Heat oven to 350 Farenheit.
In sauce pan over medium heat combine cherry tomatoes, basil, onion, mushrooms, champagne and tomato sauce. Heat until reduced by 1/3. In small baking dish, crumble and crack lasagna sheets. Mix in the sauce. Cover mixture with ricotta and bake for 20-25 minutes or until pasta is soft.
*Pasta may clump. If you prefer, layer like a normal lasagna instead. :) Yum!
3 sheets parboiled lasagna
12 small cherry tomatoes fresh from the garden
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. organic tomato sauce
1/2 cup champagne or other sweet white wine
5 sprigs organic fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh wild mushrooms (or reconstituted freeze-dried wild mushrooms)
1 cup fresh ricotta
Heat oven to 350 Farenheit.
In sauce pan over medium heat combine cherry tomatoes, basil, onion, mushrooms, champagne and tomato sauce. Heat until reduced by 1/3. In small baking dish, crumble and crack lasagna sheets. Mix in the sauce. Cover mixture with ricotta and bake for 20-25 minutes or until pasta is soft.
*Pasta may clump. If you prefer, layer like a normal lasagna instead. :) Yum!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
And so it begins...
The great tomato adventure is under way. The following recipe has been provided for your palate's pleasure, although I make no promises. :) Enjoy!
Barramundi In Tomato-Basil Sauce
1 filet of wild-caught barramundi (preferrably fresh, although I had to use frozen...)
8 or 9 small cherry tomatoes fresh from the garden
1/2 cup organic tomato-basil pasta sauce
2 1/2 large sprigs of fresh organic basil
4 julienne strips of sun-dried tomato (marinated in olive oil and garden herbs)
1/3 cup vermouth
1/3 cup water
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp grated romano
Prep work (This sauce also goes well with mussels): In a small sauce pan, combine tomato sauce, water and vermouth. Reduce over medium heat until 1/2 of the mixture remains. Chill for 20 minutes in the fridge. Combine mixture with olive oil and sundried tomatoes.
Heat your oven to 350 Farenheit. In a small roasting pan, place the barramundi and cover with the pre-made sauce. Add fresh cherry tomatoes to the mix. If they are on the larger side, cut them in half. Cover in basil sprigs and spinkle romano over the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until fish seperates easily when pressed with a fork.
Cool for 2-3 minutes before serving. Serves 1-2. :)
Yum! Enjoy! :)
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Sweet 100
At the start of the growing season, I planted a cherry tomato by the name of 'sweet 100.' Sweet 100 has grown to be closer to sweet 200, and is probably the most successful item in my garden, apart from the fingerling potatoes, which have taken over more than 1/3 of our raised bed. Since the tomatoes are so succesful, I've decided to post a new recipe for them every day until there are no more tomatoes on the vine. :) Except for today...a garden salad doesn't really need a recipe. Ingredients were simple and tasty: slivered almonds, grated romano, dried oregano flakes, grated irish cheddar, mixed spring greens (even though it isn't spring...), and of course cherry tomatoes. :)
Friday, August 13, 2010
Grr...
One thing that sucks about TTC: right after you get a negative pregnancy test, you find out that yet another friend is pregnant....ho hum. And so it continues. Just for laughs, I made the following list of 50 reasons to enjoy not being pregnant. Enjoy!
1. No needles. No crazy people chasing after you begging for just 5 or 6 vials of blood to check your beta levels, progesterone, blood sugar, etc.
2. No ultrasound probes, speculums, fingers, Q-tips, or other torturous instruments going up your whoosewhatsit where you'd prefer your significant other be the only one that ventured.
3. Unpasteurized, yummy, delicious, fresh cheeses (brie, bleu, feta! need I say more?).
4. It's summer. With no baby on board, whitewater rafting is still considered an acceptable activity! Time to go get wet. :)
5. CAFFEINE. You can have that IV of energy back, delivered one hot or cold cup at a time.
6. You have permission to overdose on that wonderful substance known as chocolate. Eat it until you get sick on it. Gorge yourself in the delicious yummy-ness of dark chocolate, and if you really want to go crazy with it, have a chocolate espresso gelato! Yum!
7. There's one more month to save for that little bundle of joy, meaning you might just be able to afford that really cute 3 in 1 stroller with all the trimmings...
8. No doctor's appointments. 'Nuff said.
9. A one-week break from Prometrium. :) Enjoy it while it lasts.
10. What a great excuse to buy a test that smiles at you...next month brings with it more peeing on a stick, only this time the stick comes with a smiley face. Go Ovulation Predictor Kits!
11. Sushi, sushi, sushi, yum, yum, yum!
12. Freedom to travel without worrying about having the OB/GYN's number on hand, or thinking about old wives' tales that criticize you for even thinking about flying during pregnancy.
13. That occasional glass of red wine on romantic evenings is no longer taboo.
14. If it hurts, you can take your Advil, Tylenol, or Aspirin again. Now if only you'd known last week during that horrendous migraine....
15. Junk food. It's the season for county fairs, and now you don't have to worry about every little crumb that you eat. Relax, enjoy that all-beef hot dog. No one else is eating it with you.
16. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.
17. French Vanilla ice cream.
18. Go to the sauna/banya. Overheating isn't an issue anymore.
19. Did I mention hot tubs and jacuzzis?
20. If you like rare meat, indulge yourself. the time is now.
21. Exercise as much as you like...ok, maybe that's not exactly fun, but hey, it is a plus.
22. Trampolines!!! Yay for the bouncy-bouncy!
23. Ok, not for me, I'm not certified, but for those of you who are - feel free to scuba dive. One of these days I'll learn....
24. High-altitude hiking. You still have the chance to experience those incredible vistas of Alpine lakes, and hidden Rocky Mountain paradises. Heck, you could even climb K-2!
25. Cloppity-clop-clop...time for a horseback ride.
26. Surfing anyone? The closest I'll get is on desert sand, but for those of you who are into it...surf's up!
27. Fresh-squeezed juices from the farmer's market. Enjoy them while the season lasts. :)
28. While there's lots of chatter about what herbs are safe during pregnancy, no one will grduge you a red raspberry tea when you aren't prego.
29. You don't have to memorize the location of every bathroom between destinations to helo out with those emergency 'I need to pee, NOW!' situations...
30. Ok, so while cravings can provide an excuse to eat those crazy combinations you secretly like, not having them also saves you from the strange looks you get when making that delicious-to-pregnant-women-only peanut butter, pickle, and peach sandwich.
31. You can drive past the local sewage plant without throwing up from the odor.
32. Got a bad break out? Feel free to apply salycilic acid liberally. It's staying on your face.
33. Made a cake? You get the pan-lickings! Congrats for five more minutes of acting like a kid...I might just make a cake to indulge...
34. Stay up late, and don't feel guilty. You don't need the extra rest - at least not any more than usual.
35. Enjoy being as small as you are for a little while longer...once baby's on board, you'll feel like a houseboat.
36. You aren't competing with Niagara Falls for the amount of random liquid you can discharge in a day (from all sorts of crazy locations...).
37. No panicking over maternity leave policies, and stressing over how to squeeze in prenatal visits, prenatal exercise classes, baby shopping, and couple time into that already crazy work schedule of yours...
38. Paint your heart out! The chemicals aren't great for baby, but when you aren't prego, you can do what you love.
39. You have another month to relax and avoid the crazy people who come running up to you and asking to touch your belly, while telling you all about their horrendous experiences during their own pregnancy, or their sister's friend's aunt's cousin-by marriage's horribly painful delivery where everything went wrong, followed by a reassuring dollop of unwanted and fairly useless advice such as 'hang an empty coat hanger in the eaves of your attic to keep the baby hanging in your womb.'
40. Ok, so no one likes to admit it, but pregnant women are full of sh!+. Literally. So be glad you aren't constipated, too.
41. Did I mention that flatulence also comes with pregnancy? At least when you aren't pregnant you know that when someone says you are 'such a bubbly person,' you knwo they mean your personality, not your rear end.
42. Pregnancy is PMS on steroids...you've got at least another month during which your significant other won't look at you like a space alien trying to suck out his brain while your moods switch from happy to angry, to a huddled mass crying on the floor because it's just soooo sad that you're ice cube melted.
43. While it might dissappoint your significant other, you've got a little more time enjoying your current bra size, and avoiding backaches, chest aches, and the hypersensitivity that accompany your post-pubescent re-development of those fatty running-impairments men call 'boobs.'
44. All of those cute shoes you own still fit you, so while it would be nice to go shoe shopping, you don't have to worry about getting blisters the size of baseballs because you really wanted to wear those cute sandals you bought to go with your favorite summer dress.
45. Speaking of summer dresses - they still fit you, too.
46. You're still safe from hemerrhoids, so you don't have to worry about feeling like you have an old man's butt for a while. Enjoy it.
47. Love spicy food? Enjoy it while you can. Pregnancy comes complete with those wonderful gifts called morning sickness and acid reflux. Meaning whatever you eat will visit you later, and spicy foods might just be taboo. Since you aren't pregnant, those buffalo wings might still be calling your name....
48. Your legs won't look like a New York street map until baby has been on board for a while, so not being pregnant can help you indulge in those shorts and summer skirts without having to worry about someone trying to figure out how to get from Bleeker St. to Park Ave. by looking at your calf.
49. You aren't sprouting random chin, and no one will look at you thinking you probably know when the phrase 'that'll put hair on your chest' is used. Pregnant women get more body hair, courtesy those extra hormones, so while your best friends might be a pair of tweezers, a razor, and a jar of wax later, you're off the hook for now.
50. You have at least one more month to practice making that baby!
1. No needles. No crazy people chasing after you begging for just 5 or 6 vials of blood to check your beta levels, progesterone, blood sugar, etc.
2. No ultrasound probes, speculums, fingers, Q-tips, or other torturous instruments going up your whoosewhatsit where you'd prefer your significant other be the only one that ventured.
3. Unpasteurized, yummy, delicious, fresh cheeses (brie, bleu, feta! need I say more?).
4. It's summer. With no baby on board, whitewater rafting is still considered an acceptable activity! Time to go get wet. :)
5. CAFFEINE. You can have that IV of energy back, delivered one hot or cold cup at a time.
6. You have permission to overdose on that wonderful substance known as chocolate. Eat it until you get sick on it. Gorge yourself in the delicious yummy-ness of dark chocolate, and if you really want to go crazy with it, have a chocolate espresso gelato! Yum!
7. There's one more month to save for that little bundle of joy, meaning you might just be able to afford that really cute 3 in 1 stroller with all the trimmings...
8. No doctor's appointments. 'Nuff said.
9. A one-week break from Prometrium. :) Enjoy it while it lasts.
10. What a great excuse to buy a test that smiles at you...next month brings with it more peeing on a stick, only this time the stick comes with a smiley face. Go Ovulation Predictor Kits!
11. Sushi, sushi, sushi, yum, yum, yum!
12. Freedom to travel without worrying about having the OB/GYN's number on hand, or thinking about old wives' tales that criticize you for even thinking about flying during pregnancy.
13. That occasional glass of red wine on romantic evenings is no longer taboo.
14. If it hurts, you can take your Advil, Tylenol, or Aspirin again. Now if only you'd known last week during that horrendous migraine....
15. Junk food. It's the season for county fairs, and now you don't have to worry about every little crumb that you eat. Relax, enjoy that all-beef hot dog. No one else is eating it with you.
16. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.
17. French Vanilla ice cream.
18. Go to the sauna/banya. Overheating isn't an issue anymore.
19. Did I mention hot tubs and jacuzzis?
20. If you like rare meat, indulge yourself. the time is now.
21. Exercise as much as you like...ok, maybe that's not exactly fun, but hey, it is a plus.
22. Trampolines!!! Yay for the bouncy-bouncy!
23. Ok, not for me, I'm not certified, but for those of you who are - feel free to scuba dive. One of these days I'll learn....
24. High-altitude hiking. You still have the chance to experience those incredible vistas of Alpine lakes, and hidden Rocky Mountain paradises. Heck, you could even climb K-2!
25. Cloppity-clop-clop...time for a horseback ride.
26. Surfing anyone? The closest I'll get is on desert sand, but for those of you who are into it...surf's up!
27. Fresh-squeezed juices from the farmer's market. Enjoy them while the season lasts. :)
28. While there's lots of chatter about what herbs are safe during pregnancy, no one will grduge you a red raspberry tea when you aren't prego.
29. You don't have to memorize the location of every bathroom between destinations to helo out with those emergency 'I need to pee, NOW!' situations...
30. Ok, so while cravings can provide an excuse to eat those crazy combinations you secretly like, not having them also saves you from the strange looks you get when making that delicious-to-pregnant-women-only peanut butter, pickle, and peach sandwich.
31. You can drive past the local sewage plant without throwing up from the odor.
32. Got a bad break out? Feel free to apply salycilic acid liberally. It's staying on your face.
33. Made a cake? You get the pan-lickings! Congrats for five more minutes of acting like a kid...I might just make a cake to indulge...
34. Stay up late, and don't feel guilty. You don't need the extra rest - at least not any more than usual.
35. Enjoy being as small as you are for a little while longer...once baby's on board, you'll feel like a houseboat.
36. You aren't competing with Niagara Falls for the amount of random liquid you can discharge in a day (from all sorts of crazy locations...).
37. No panicking over maternity leave policies, and stressing over how to squeeze in prenatal visits, prenatal exercise classes, baby shopping, and couple time into that already crazy work schedule of yours...
38. Paint your heart out! The chemicals aren't great for baby, but when you aren't prego, you can do what you love.
39. You have another month to relax and avoid the crazy people who come running up to you and asking to touch your belly, while telling you all about their horrendous experiences during their own pregnancy, or their sister's friend's aunt's cousin-by marriage's horribly painful delivery where everything went wrong, followed by a reassuring dollop of unwanted and fairly useless advice such as 'hang an empty coat hanger in the eaves of your attic to keep the baby hanging in your womb.'
40. Ok, so no one likes to admit it, but pregnant women are full of sh!+. Literally. So be glad you aren't constipated, too.
41. Did I mention that flatulence also comes with pregnancy? At least when you aren't pregnant you know that when someone says you are 'such a bubbly person,' you knwo they mean your personality, not your rear end.
42. Pregnancy is PMS on steroids...you've got at least another month during which your significant other won't look at you like a space alien trying to suck out his brain while your moods switch from happy to angry, to a huddled mass crying on the floor because it's just soooo sad that you're ice cube melted.
43. While it might dissappoint your significant other, you've got a little more time enjoying your current bra size, and avoiding backaches, chest aches, and the hypersensitivity that accompany your post-pubescent re-development of those fatty running-impairments men call 'boobs.'
44. All of those cute shoes you own still fit you, so while it would be nice to go shoe shopping, you don't have to worry about getting blisters the size of baseballs because you really wanted to wear those cute sandals you bought to go with your favorite summer dress.
45. Speaking of summer dresses - they still fit you, too.
46. You're still safe from hemerrhoids, so you don't have to worry about feeling like you have an old man's butt for a while. Enjoy it.
47. Love spicy food? Enjoy it while you can. Pregnancy comes complete with those wonderful gifts called morning sickness and acid reflux. Meaning whatever you eat will visit you later, and spicy foods might just be taboo. Since you aren't pregnant, those buffalo wings might still be calling your name....
48. Your legs won't look like a New York street map until baby has been on board for a while, so not being pregnant can help you indulge in those shorts and summer skirts without having to worry about someone trying to figure out how to get from Bleeker St. to Park Ave. by looking at your calf.
49. You aren't sprouting random chin, and no one will look at you thinking you probably know when the phrase 'that'll put hair on your chest' is used. Pregnant women get more body hair, courtesy those extra hormones, so while your best friends might be a pair of tweezers, a razor, and a jar of wax later, you're off the hook for now.
50. You have at least one more month to practice making that baby!
Target...
Well, I'm back in the US after the Haiti Excursion, and not quite used to it. In the meantime, dealing with the Target issue has become an interesting pass-time. Let's take a look at this:
Target, a corporation, has been endowed by the Supreme Court with rights that surpass those of an individual where campaign contributions are concerned. In fact, at this point, all corporations now have rights that go beyond those of the average voter. Joe Smith from Piddledunk, Arkansas can give a max of $3-5,000 in campaign contributions. Meanwhile, Target can give $150,000 to a single candidate. Something about that strikes me as legalized bribery...I'm all for corporate free speech, but not when it comes at such a high cost. Perhaps imposing a limit identical to that placed on individual voters could alleviate the conflict and equalize the playing field a bit...
Target, a corporation, has been endowed by the Supreme Court with rights that surpass those of an individual where campaign contributions are concerned. In fact, at this point, all corporations now have rights that go beyond those of the average voter. Joe Smith from Piddledunk, Arkansas can give a max of $3-5,000 in campaign contributions. Meanwhile, Target can give $150,000 to a single candidate. Something about that strikes me as legalized bribery...I'm all for corporate free speech, but not when it comes at such a high cost. Perhaps imposing a limit identical to that placed on individual voters could alleviate the conflict and equalize the playing field a bit...
Saturday, July 3, 2010
One more day in the life...
This morning I'm in Port au Prince with Reuben, recovering from yesterday's meeting and this morning's diarrhea. Considering my opinion of bureaucracy, there isn't really much difference between the two from where I'm sitting.
The past few weeks have been a flurry of activity, and I've written about 80 pages of journal entry. Those pages will become part of my book/thesis when I get back. ?Next week, marks a trip to Mexico, however. I'm looking forward to it. Time with the hub, and family. :)
***
One of the worst problems I've encountered in research here so far is my ability to adapt. In most cases, falling into native patterns and custims quickly is considered a good thing. Not from an anthropological standpoint, however. I need to learn to walk the line between observation and participation while remaining objective to the events going on around me. Not an easy task by a long shot.
***
Apologies to those of you who read this post on a regular basis. I had originally intended on putting more information up, complete with stories, pictures, and descriptions of life here. With limited internet access and electricity, that's relatively impossible. I do however, promise to provide a draft of the final book the chimpito and the mantis.
The past few weeks have been a flurry of activity, and I've written about 80 pages of journal entry. Those pages will become part of my book/thesis when I get back. ?Next week, marks a trip to Mexico, however. I'm looking forward to it. Time with the hub, and family. :)
***
One of the worst problems I've encountered in research here so far is my ability to adapt. In most cases, falling into native patterns and custims quickly is considered a good thing. Not from an anthropological standpoint, however. I need to learn to walk the line between observation and participation while remaining objective to the events going on around me. Not an easy task by a long shot.
***
Apologies to those of you who read this post on a regular basis. I had originally intended on putting more information up, complete with stories, pictures, and descriptions of life here. With limited internet access and electricity, that's relatively impossible. I do however, promise to provide a draft of the final book the chimpito and the mantis.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Still not connected...
Hi there. It's a bit frustrating not to have reliable communication here. I miss my friends and family so much, but especially my dearest husband.
Right now, here in Fondwa, we are coming into the start of sweet potato season. The market day was today and the streets were packed with people selling everything a small village might need. Usually there are several vendors with the same wares for the same prices, so it is tough to choose. The one exception would be in the butcher's alley. To walk there is an experience. The faces of an older generation peer out from behind butcher's knives, raising and falling in a rythm to a song I haven't learned yet. They peer with hope at each passing person, slapping the occaisional leg of beef or goat, slicing the pickled beef rind, and tossing scraps and skin onto the ground where the area dogs come to fight over each piece. Hides are unceremoniously discarded on the ground, and covered over with banana leaf. The leather isn't much good here, without the proper chemiclas to process it. A little further down the same alley, nervous livestock linger, hoping that they won't be next, while uneasily grazing on the local vegetation. A line of donkeys that has brought goods to market is tied to a nearby fence relaxing. The red clay soil is stained with their passing, and around the corner a great white scar is carved into the hillside, where chalky limestone, also called white sand, is being excavated for building material. This sand is part of the reason so many buildings collapsed, but without education, the people don't know better. Desperation has led to repetition, as the need for dry housing sets in with the approaching hurricane season.
On other notes, Eugene Lim is arriving to teach with us for the month, and one of my fellow volunteers has rushed off to collect him in Port-au-Prince. It will be interesting to hear what advice he can provide the university. Hopefully he can handle the conditions. Its a bit rough out here, and a drastic transition from Columbia's gorgeous campus. After all, out here all we have is a slightly damaged cinderblock building with three classrooms, an office, and two dormer rooms for the students. The windows are 4x6 holes in the wall, and have no glass. Occaisionally we hang a USAID tarp over them when the wind is too strong or it is raining. In front, we have a schizophrenic old woman who paces back and forth, sits on the gravestones that border the front of the campus, chat with the dead, and sorts rubble into small piles organized by her fancy. Its as though she were trying to rebuild her world in a way that makes sense, following the earthquake. It's an interesting place, but a far cry from NYC.
Right now, here in Fondwa, we are coming into the start of sweet potato season. The market day was today and the streets were packed with people selling everything a small village might need. Usually there are several vendors with the same wares for the same prices, so it is tough to choose. The one exception would be in the butcher's alley. To walk there is an experience. The faces of an older generation peer out from behind butcher's knives, raising and falling in a rythm to a song I haven't learned yet. They peer with hope at each passing person, slapping the occaisional leg of beef or goat, slicing the pickled beef rind, and tossing scraps and skin onto the ground where the area dogs come to fight over each piece. Hides are unceremoniously discarded on the ground, and covered over with banana leaf. The leather isn't much good here, without the proper chemiclas to process it. A little further down the same alley, nervous livestock linger, hoping that they won't be next, while uneasily grazing on the local vegetation. A line of donkeys that has brought goods to market is tied to a nearby fence relaxing. The red clay soil is stained with their passing, and around the corner a great white scar is carved into the hillside, where chalky limestone, also called white sand, is being excavated for building material. This sand is part of the reason so many buildings collapsed, but without education, the people don't know better. Desperation has led to repetition, as the need for dry housing sets in with the approaching hurricane season.
On other notes, Eugene Lim is arriving to teach with us for the month, and one of my fellow volunteers has rushed off to collect him in Port-au-Prince. It will be interesting to hear what advice he can provide the university. Hopefully he can handle the conditions. Its a bit rough out here, and a drastic transition from Columbia's gorgeous campus. After all, out here all we have is a slightly damaged cinderblock building with three classrooms, an office, and two dormer rooms for the students. The windows are 4x6 holes in the wall, and have no glass. Occaisionally we hang a USAID tarp over them when the wind is too strong or it is raining. In front, we have a schizophrenic old woman who paces back and forth, sits on the gravestones that border the front of the campus, chat with the dead, and sorts rubble into small piles organized by her fancy. Its as though she were trying to rebuild her world in a way that makes sense, following the earthquake. It's an interesting place, but a far cry from NYC.
Still not connected...
Hi there. It's a bit frustrating not to have reliable communication here. I miss my friends and family so much, but especially my dearest husband.
Right now, here in Fondwa, we are coming into the start of sweet potato season. The market day was today and the streets were packed with people selling everything a small village might need. Usually there are several vendors with the same wares for the same prices, so it is tough to choose. The one exception would be in the butcher's alley. To walk there is an experience. The faces of an older generation peer out from behind butcher's knives, raising and falling in a rythm to a song I haven't learned yet. They peer with hope at each passing person, slapping the occaisional leg of beef or goat, slicing the pickled beef rind, and tossing scraps and skin onto the ground where the area dogs come to fight over each piece. Hides are unceremoniously discarded on the ground, and covered over with banana leaf. The leather isn't much good here, without the proper chemiclas to process it. A little further down the same alley, nervous livestock linger, hoping that they won't be next, while uneasily grazing on the local vegetation. A line of donkeys that has brought goods to market is tied to a nearby fence relaxing. The red clay soil is stained with their passing, and around the corner a great white scar is carved into the hillside, where chalky limestone, also called white sand, is being excavated for building material. This sand is part of the reason so many buildings collapsed, but without education, the people don't know better. Desperation has led to repetition, as the need for dry housing sets in with the approaching hurricane season.
On other notes, Eugene Lim is arriving to teach with us for the month, and one of my fellow volunteers has rushed off to collect him in Port-au-Prince. It will be interesting to hear what advice he can provide the university. Hopefully he can handle the conditions. Its a bit rough out here, and a drastic transition from Columbia's gorgeous campus. After all, out here all we have is a slightly damaged cinderblock building with three classrooms, an office, and two dormer rooms for the students. The windows are 4x6 holes in the wall, and have no glass. Occaisionally we hang a USAID tarp over them when the wind is too strong or it is raining. In front, we have a schizophrenic old woman who paces back and forth, sits on the gravestones that border the front of the campus, chat with the dead, and sorts rubble into small piles organized by her fancy. Its as though she were trying to rebuild her world in a way that makes sense, following the earthquake. It's an interesting place, but a far cry from NYC.
Right now, here in Fondwa, we are coming into the start of sweet potato season. The market day was today and the streets were packed with people selling everything a small village might need. Usually there are several vendors with the same wares for the same prices, so it is tough to choose. The one exception would be in the butcher's alley. To walk there is an experience. The faces of an older generation peer out from behind butcher's knives, raising and falling in a rythm to a song I haven't learned yet. They peer with hope at each passing person, slapping the occaisional leg of beef or goat, slicing the pickled beef rind, and tossing scraps and skin onto the ground where the area dogs come to fight over each piece. Hides are unceremoniously discarded on the ground, and covered over with banana leaf. The leather isn't much good here, without the proper chemiclas to process it. A little further down the same alley, nervous livestock linger, hoping that they won't be next, while uneasily grazing on the local vegetation. A line of donkeys that has brought goods to market is tied to a nearby fence relaxing. The red clay soil is stained with their passing, and around the corner a great white scar is carved into the hillside, where chalky limestone, also called white sand, is being excavated for building material. This sand is part of the reason so many buildings collapsed, but without education, the people don't know better. Desperation has led to repetition, as the need for dry housing sets in with the approaching hurricane season.
On other notes, Eugene Lim is arriving to teach with us for the month, and one of my fellow volunteers has rushed off to collect him in Port-au-Prince. It will be interesting to hear what advice he can provide the university. Hopefully he can handle the conditions. Its a bit rough out here, and a drastic transition from Columbia's gorgeous campus. After all, out here all we have is a slightly damaged cinderblock building with three classrooms, an office, and two dormer rooms for the students. The windows are 4x6 holes in the wall, and have no glass. Occaisionally we hang a USAID tarp over them when the wind is too strong or it is raining. In front, we have a schizophrenic old woman who paces back and forth, sits on the gravestones that border the front of the campus, chat with the dead, and sorts rubble into small piles organized by her fancy. Its as though she were trying to rebuild her world in a way that makes sense, following the earthquake. It's an interesting place, but a far cry from NYC.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Poaching
So here I am in Tom Gato, poaching Moyiz's internet again on Rohan's computer. Luckily we have electricity this time, so the computer won't die during the middle of an email home. Today is market day, and I woke at 4 am to the sounds of merchant women bringing their wares to town, calls from my neighbors to friends on the road, a crowing rooster, and the sound of donkey, horse and mule hooves competing with the tap taps for space on the road. The tap taps honked noisily while the pack animals brayed, neighed, and left their manure along the path. Cheers to a beautiful day. :)
I miss home horribly, but the work here is worth it. Currently Moyiz and I are compiling a list of student activities, I'm conducting a study on local NGOs and cooperation with international NGOs and IGOs, and trying to run an entire university's administrative department...talk about a headache! It is fun, though, and I'm learning quite a bit.
Some of the places that I have passed in the past few days have been heartbreaking to witness, and the nonchalance with which the people here have learned to discuss the loss from the earthquake is both frightening and awe-inspiring. The Haitian people are truly amazing, and I am inspired every day to get up and work my hardest. Of course, when the heat of the day is so oppressive that you beg for rain, sometimes hard work is just walking the few kilometers across town needed to have a meeting...
I miss you all, and hope to talk with you soon!
Love,
me
I miss home horribly, but the work here is worth it. Currently Moyiz and I are compiling a list of student activities, I'm conducting a study on local NGOs and cooperation with international NGOs and IGOs, and trying to run an entire university's administrative department...talk about a headache! It is fun, though, and I'm learning quite a bit.
Some of the places that I have passed in the past few days have been heartbreaking to witness, and the nonchalance with which the people here have learned to discuss the loss from the earthquake is both frightening and awe-inspiring. The Haitian people are truly amazing, and I am inspired every day to get up and work my hardest. Of course, when the heat of the day is so oppressive that you beg for rain, sometimes hard work is just walking the few kilometers across town needed to have a meeting...
I miss you all, and hope to talk with you soon!
Love,
me
Monday, May 31, 2010
Hell or paradise, your call...
Well, here I am. There is quite a bit of work to do, and I'm happy to help, but also exhausted. I'm not sure if this is heaven (fresh mangoes, beaches, gorgeous mountains, and way too much food) or hell (missing my husband horribly, very little electricity, no running water, and having an entire university to rebuild) but I'm here. Had dream about a hurricane yesterday. Here's hoping it doesn't come true.
Once things stabilize a little bit I should have steady electricity and internet. I'll be writing more then. In the meantime, sit tight.
Cheers!
Once things stabilize a little bit I should have steady electricity and internet. I'll be writing more then. In the meantime, sit tight.
Cheers!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Countdown....
Time flew by this month. I'm off to Haiti in just a few days, with a brief stop in Philly and NYC first (we leave tonight for the east coast). Talk about rough- three months away from the husband. At the same time, the sooner I get to Haiti, the sooner my thesis is finished and the less traveling I will have to do.
Preparations left to be made include: everything. Call me a procrastinator, but the giant suitcase upstairs is nearly empty, I haven't printed any of the necessary papers, prepared cameras, cleaned, done laundry, or anything else for that matter, unless you count painting three random scenes and working my final retail shift. So where am I off to now? Oh, perhaps a hike...why is procrastination so tempting immediately preceding long and stressful journeys?
Preparations left to be made include: everything. Call me a procrastinator, but the giant suitcase upstairs is nearly empty, I haven't printed any of the necessary papers, prepared cameras, cleaned, done laundry, or anything else for that matter, unless you count painting three random scenes and working my final retail shift. So where am I off to now? Oh, perhaps a hike...why is procrastination so tempting immediately preceding long and stressful journeys?
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Rotating breakfast...
So this morning my husband and I went to the Rotary club where I was invited to give a talk on Haiti. Hopefully I got through to a few people in the room. Either way, the experience was interesting, and the food was good. I left with a question in mind, though. Are organizations like the Rotary Club, Kiwanis, and the Lyons Club dying out? From this morning's meeting, my guess would be yes. There were almost no young people in the room, and the youngest member appeared to be near his early 50's. Then again, I've had no previous interaction with the Rotary club, so who knows... would be interesting to find out.
The sunrise was incredible, with a glow coming over the mesas in orange, gold, red, rose, and then finally sky blue. We live in an amazing place. :)
The sunrise was incredible, with a glow coming over the mesas in orange, gold, red, rose, and then finally sky blue. We live in an amazing place. :)
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Keeping it Light
The aftermath of the earthquakes in Haiti has emotionally drained me, which in turn led to a Saturday full of less than thrilling fights with my dearest husband. Of course, the impending arrival of a certain time of month didn't really help much. As a result, I've decided to focus all my energy and effort on things other than Haiti, but still do the projects I've discussed previously. With that in mind, let's turn to recent adventures:
Today we found two amazing parks within 30 minutes drive of the house. Granted, the weather didn't encourage a long foray into the mountains, and our unruly puppy also made things difficult. We did, however, go on a short and incredible hike up the side of a mountain. The vista of the intercontinental divide was breathtaking, and jagged peaks were bordered by an ice-covered creek. In some places, the surface of the creek was as smooth as glass. We've agreed to go back frequently, and enjoy the beautiful land that surrounds us.
Today we found two amazing parks within 30 minutes drive of the house. Granted, the weather didn't encourage a long foray into the mountains, and our unruly puppy also made things difficult. We did, however, go on a short and incredible hike up the side of a mountain. The vista of the intercontinental divide was breathtaking, and jagged peaks were bordered by an ice-covered creek. In some places, the surface of the creek was as smooth as glass. We've agreed to go back frequently, and enjoy the beautiful land that surrounds us.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Tripping
So...it looks like I will be heading at least one, possibly two, teams of volunteers to Fondwa to help rebuild. We will be on site at some point in Spring/Summer, depending on everyone's schedules.
Today, I think it would be nice to type about something outside of Haiti, though. It's been a rough week +, and my brain and heart are exhausted. Let's tackle the thesis, and life in general (albeit briefly).
My thesis is a headache. In terms of organization, I want to redo the entire thing. Luckily, I have enough time to do so. The university has high expectations for me, and that fact is intimidating. At times, I want nothing more than to have this process behind me. My thoughts keep drifting to our desires to have a child, or two, or four. Something tells me that we will max out at two, after all, that's the replacement rate. That's not the actual reason, but it works well as an excuse. ;) I worry that I won't be a good mother, or will become the 'bad guy' to our kids. I guess parenting is something you have to take one day at a time, though.
At some point in the near future, I'm going to start going to the gym. I want to be healthy and happy with my weight before we get pregnant, and should be in good shape for Haiti as well. Right now I am 155 lbs., which is pretty hefty for a 5'3" frame, especially since my most comfortable adult weight was closer to 118 lbs. Weight lifting and running, here I come. It's hard to admit getting older...3 years ago I would have been hunting for pick-up sports leagues. Moving here took a lot of energy, and I wouldn't even know where to begin looking. Besides, pick-up sports would be more fun if the love of my life joined in, but he's too absorbed in office life to get involved in outdoor activities right now.
I haven't told the hubby yet, but I'll also be working with Habitat for Humanity as a volunteer starting in February. That should help with getting healthy, too.
Well, I'd say this entry was superficial enough... I'm gone for now.
Today, I think it would be nice to type about something outside of Haiti, though. It's been a rough week +, and my brain and heart are exhausted. Let's tackle the thesis, and life in general (albeit briefly).
My thesis is a headache. In terms of organization, I want to redo the entire thing. Luckily, I have enough time to do so. The university has high expectations for me, and that fact is intimidating. At times, I want nothing more than to have this process behind me. My thoughts keep drifting to our desires to have a child, or two, or four. Something tells me that we will max out at two, after all, that's the replacement rate. That's not the actual reason, but it works well as an excuse. ;) I worry that I won't be a good mother, or will become the 'bad guy' to our kids. I guess parenting is something you have to take one day at a time, though.
At some point in the near future, I'm going to start going to the gym. I want to be healthy and happy with my weight before we get pregnant, and should be in good shape for Haiti as well. Right now I am 155 lbs., which is pretty hefty for a 5'3" frame, especially since my most comfortable adult weight was closer to 118 lbs. Weight lifting and running, here I come. It's hard to admit getting older...3 years ago I would have been hunting for pick-up sports leagues. Moving here took a lot of energy, and I wouldn't even know where to begin looking. Besides, pick-up sports would be more fun if the love of my life joined in, but he's too absorbed in office life to get involved in outdoor activities right now.
I haven't told the hubby yet, but I'll also be working with Habitat for Humanity as a volunteer starting in February. That should help with getting healthy, too.
Well, I'd say this entry was superficial enough... I'm gone for now.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Lots to do...
So here's the current state of affairs:
1) Meeting with the city tomorrow to organize downtown merchants into a day for Haiti
2) Organizing a trip for individuals to travel to Fondwa and rebuild once APF is ready for a volunteer crew
3) Donated goods drive is underway, and items are pouring in. Should be traveling with a U-Haul full of items by Feb. to the shipping center in Michigan.
4) Flyer has been distributed around the US to donate to www.piphaiti.org or the American Red Cross.
1) Meeting with the city tomorrow to organize downtown merchants into a day for Haiti
2) Organizing a trip for individuals to travel to Fondwa and rebuild once APF is ready for a volunteer crew
3) Donated goods drive is underway, and items are pouring in. Should be traveling with a U-Haul full of items by Feb. to the shipping center in Michigan.
4) Flyer has been distributed around the US to donate to www.piphaiti.org or the American Red Cross.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Would hath hope...
The words to one of my parents favorite songs are simple: Would hath hope. It gets cut, but it grows green again. I see Haiti as the subject of the song, more than any tree. Today, the first signs of hope began to trickle in. I learned that many friends and contacts are still alive, and a truckload of supplies for the donated goods drive was brought to my house, with news that three more truckloads are on the way! Hope is in the air, and my thoughts drift to the possibility that even from the greatest of tragedies, new joys can grow, watered by the tears shed for fallen friends and tended by the hope of a nation unwilling to give up.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Fondwa
Fondwa is gone. Snuffed out like a candle, only much more violently. At least one of my friends has died. Sr. Judy is injured. The orphanage, school, university, clinic, guest house...all gone. I feel completely useless. The same people who nursed me back to health when I was ill are dying, and I am powerless to aid them. It's a sickening feeling. Like a rock in my stomach that swings up and down, making me want to vomit, and crushing me from the inside out. My heart is screaming. Crying doesn't help. With all the attention focused on Port-au-Prince, who will help the people in the provinces, who will help my friends in Fondwa?
Well put, Edwidge
So today I went quote hunting and stumbled across a perfectly put remark from Edwidge Danticat.
"I think that Haiti is a place that suffers so much from neglect that people only want to hear about it when it's at its extreme. And that's what they end up knowing about."
Unfortunately, that's painfully true. How often do you hear someone discuss the beauty of the Haitian people? The spirit of community that overpowers any tragedy? The strength of hope, in a people that bounce back from every obstacle? The breathtaking mountains? The cuisine? The music? The art? The literature? Haiti is a wellspring of human creativity, but who is there to witness? Where is the world in the moments of Haitian triumph? Why is the beauty of Haitian music recognized only after the musician has braved the ocean, 8 months pregnant and floated on a boat to anywhere but home; looking for security, but longing for Haiti? Why do the words of Haitian authors go unread until they have moved to Montreal, New York, or Miami?
Why don't the Haitians have TPS???
"I think that Haiti is a place that suffers so much from neglect that people only want to hear about it when it's at its extreme. And that's what they end up knowing about."
Unfortunately, that's painfully true. How often do you hear someone discuss the beauty of the Haitian people? The spirit of community that overpowers any tragedy? The strength of hope, in a people that bounce back from every obstacle? The breathtaking mountains? The cuisine? The music? The art? The literature? Haiti is a wellspring of human creativity, but who is there to witness? Where is the world in the moments of Haitian triumph? Why is the beauty of Haitian music recognized only after the musician has braved the ocean, 8 months pregnant and floated on a boat to anywhere but home; looking for security, but longing for Haiti? Why do the words of Haitian authors go unread until they have moved to Montreal, New York, or Miami?
Why don't the Haitians have TPS???
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Long day
It's been a long frustrating day. There is still no word on many of my colleagues in Haiti, and even those in the states are hard to reach. A friend of mine wrote me on facebook, expressing his disdain at being stuck here, not being able to go to Haiti and work. My thoughts and feelings echo his.
Attempts at networking here in town seemed at first like they would be successful, but I'm beginning to realize that part of what distresses me abou culture in the USA is the tendency of individuals to say one thing, but mean another. The chamber of commerce 'doesn't like to get involved with fundraisers or donation drives' (a quote from the chair of the chamber...). The mayor was due to contact me hours ago, but hasn't. One woman who donated a box of goods gave expired lemonade mix among other items. Needless to say, I'm feeling a little down at the moment.
Attempts at networking here in town seemed at first like they would be successful, but I'm beginning to realize that part of what distresses me abou culture in the USA is the tendency of individuals to say one thing, but mean another. The chamber of commerce 'doesn't like to get involved with fundraisers or donation drives' (a quote from the chair of the chamber...). The mayor was due to contact me hours ago, but hasn't. One woman who donated a box of goods gave expired lemonade mix among other items. Needless to say, I'm feeling a little down at the moment.
Organizing the Drive
Hello there. I hope someone starts reading this soon. Today I contacted the mayor, chamber of commerce, some local businesses, and university contacts. In short, I laid the groundwork for a donation drive for goods such as bedding, clothing, water, non-perishable food items, and basic first aid and medical supplies (no prescription meds) to be sent to Haiti. We'll see what happens.
Just wrote Aid Matrix in the hopes that they can help in the distribution of goods raised. Partners in Progress will take the rest.
Two big offers so far: Water Purification System and (possibly) damaged pallets from a distribtuion company. Here goes nothing!
Sad note: still no word from Haiti about the Fondwa community, Pharra or Fr. Joseph. Anyone with information on Hospice St. Joseph, please share it here!
Just wrote Aid Matrix in the hopes that they can help in the distribution of goods raised. Partners in Progress will take the rest.
Two big offers so far: Water Purification System and (possibly) damaged pallets from a distribtuion company. Here goes nothing!
Sad note: still no word from Haiti about the Fondwa community, Pharra or Fr. Joseph. Anyone with information on Hospice St. Joseph, please share it here!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Earthquake in Haiti
Yesterday, the panic set in. I heard the news reports on Haiti and found sleeping a near impossibility until my eyes were equally dried by eye strain from readins reports for any news of friends abroad and soaked with tears. What next?
For those of you looking for ways to help, here's a list of resources:
From a US cell phone:
Text HAITI to 90999 to donate $10 to the American Red Cross for relief efforts in Haiti.
Text Yele to 501 501 to donate $5 to support Wyclef Jean's organization in relief efforts in Haiti.
From Twitter:
Follow leads on NY Times and CNN for minute-by-minute updates on how to help.
From the internet:
Network for Good A list of reputable charities accepting on-line donations.
To volunteer:
For those of you with special skills in medicine, engineering, or experience working in disaster relief sites, go to CIDI.org to register with the Center for International Disaster Information as a volunteer relief worker.
In the meantime, I have submitted my information to numerous organizations, and can only hope that my contacts in Port-au-Prince and Fondwa are still alive. Over the next few weeks I will be posting information on the events in Haiti. Feel free to comment and include any information on damages or the status of individuals if you have information. Now is a time for solidarity.
For those of you looking for ways to help, here's a list of resources:
From a US cell phone:
Text HAITI to 90999 to donate $10 to the American Red Cross for relief efforts in Haiti.
Text Yele to 501 501 to donate $5 to support Wyclef Jean's organization in relief efforts in Haiti.
From Twitter:
Follow leads on NY Times and CNN for minute-by-minute updates on how to help.
From the internet:
Network for Good A list of reputable charities accepting on-line donations.
To volunteer:
For those of you with special skills in medicine, engineering, or experience working in disaster relief sites, go to CIDI.org to register with the Center for International Disaster Information as a volunteer relief worker.
In the meantime, I have submitted my information to numerous organizations, and can only hope that my contacts in Port-au-Prince and Fondwa are still alive. Over the next few weeks I will be posting information on the events in Haiti. Feel free to comment and include any information on damages or the status of individuals if you have information. Now is a time for solidarity.
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