tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-325060502011-08-21T06:40:17.410-07:00Occasional art, comics, food, and other things of less interest to the general public.yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.comBlogger1811100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-18870944981004241122011-04-11T03:38:00.005-07:002011-04-11T03:48:54.389-07:00

This blog post is a mirror of Maikel Nabil's blog post, "The Army and the People were Never One Hand." Maikel Nabil was sentenced today to three years in jail for "publishing false information and libeling the military institution." I am mirroring his blog post to show solidarity for Maikel. I believe in free speech. Here is Maikel's original post. Read an English translation here.الجيش و الشعب

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-42070638066416731762011-03-30T15:54:00.007-07:002011-04-11T04:01:32.963-07:00

UPDATE: Maikel Nabil was sentenced to three years in prison today, one day earlier than sentencing was scheduled, in the absence of both his lawyer & himself. Maikel Nabil was arrested from his house March 28, 2011 by military police. He faces the charge of offending the army and spreading false news that could threaten public security. Nabil is an activist who wrote a blog post entitled, "The

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-34701973919285256172010-10-13T20:58:00.005-07:002010-10-14T14:50:59.228-07:00

If you've been following for the food, it probably won't be making too many appearances henceforth. In fact, at the risk of shooting myself in the foot from the get-go, let me say that there may not be many posts in general. Okay, on with the post.***It was early afternoon and I was riding the bus home today from my book group. It wasn't my usual bus where I have the route memorized, but what I

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-37264740206552896532009-06-14T06:03:00.002-07:002009-06-14T06:44:16.928-07:00

Things have gotten quiet on this blog lately. I’ve been meaning to post an explanation of sorts for a while, and here it is.I started my blog in what felt (to me, at least) like the heyday of blogging. It seemed fun and also exciting – theoretically, people from all over the world could read what I wrote and gaze at pictures I posted.My blog in its early days was rarely about food – more like

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-66270652467539615952009-04-20T10:01:00.006-07:002009-04-20T10:30:19.089-07:00

The weather is getting hotter (at least sometimes), and ice cream is most definitely called for. Imagine my delight while flipping through old copies of Vegetarian Times* at the library and encountering a feature on homemade vegan ice creams.But homemade ice cream means nothing to me if it requires an ice cream maker, which my kitchen is not outfitted with. Happily, the first recipe I saw, for a

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-51389107494236257502009-02-13T09:34:00.006-08:002009-02-13T23:18:11.371-08:00

A few weeks ago I took a one-time Persian cooking class at PCC (a natural foods supermarket in Washington state) about Persian cooking. It was my first time trying Persian food and it was wonderful - flavors totally different to anything I'd experienced before. I was mistaken when I thought it would be similar to other middle eastern cuisines (Lebanese, Egyptian, etc).Yesterday I decided to try

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-45022339012155894822009-02-06T16:29:00.003-08:002009-02-06T16:45:02.795-08:00

I've been wanting to post about - and make - koshari for a very long time, and somehow the forces convened about a week ago. Koshari is what hamburgers are in the US - fast, cheap, and ubiquitous, but luckily, vegan. The problem with koshari is that it's made up of about a hundred different things: rice, lentils, macaroni, chickpeas, super-fried crispy brown onions, and a garlicky sauce to go

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-44420464909316655232009-01-22T13:26:00.004-08:002009-01-22T13:31:31.936-08:00

On a chilly day, after a not-quite fight with the bus driver, come home to Veganomicon's Chickpea Noodle Soup (follow link for recipe). Miso gives it a vaguely chickeny (not in a bad way) savory taste. Adding extra leafy greens (I used collard greens) is a good idea. Oh, and I used rice instead of noodles to use up leftover rice, throwing it in about 5 minutes before the soup was done.

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-59047331183285389982009-01-17T16:30:00.005-08:002009-01-17T16:48:38.196-08:00

I've been in a bit of a kitchen slump recently. We have all these fruits and vegetables in the fridge and I'm at a loss as to how to combine them successfully.Happily, one of the vegetables was a gigantic eggplant, so I got to try out Vegan YumYum's eggplant and pine nut rolled lasagna. It was a bit labor-intensive since I had to fry eggplant slices, but turned out delicious and totally worth it.

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-32692961505597390282009-01-16T20:42:00.003-08:002009-01-16T21:03:33.827-08:00

A semolina pudding recipe I came across in Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian sounded too intruiging to pass up. Semolina (usually used to make pasta) in a dessert?I made a few adaptions to the recipe, the worst being subbing yogurt with tofu cream cheese, which killed it, and resulted in a funky dessert (bad funky). In taste tests throughout the process (read: licking spoons), it was

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-19181941849815695272009-01-15T08:59:00.004-08:002009-01-15T09:32:09.945-08:00

Things have been busy. I went to Boston really briefly, for a few days, to visit my cousin who was also visiting.Before I left I made some note-worthy things: the Pasta Della California from Veganomicon (recipe here) and the tiramisu from the Candle Cafe cookbook. The pasta was incredible, and highly recommended - who knew lots of garlic, broccoli and avocados would taste so incredible together?

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-68809018140150796632009-01-01T10:02:00.004-08:002009-01-01T10:12:05.430-08:00

Pancakes make things better. I really wanted to make these after I saw them on Bethany's blog (scroll down). They're from the Candle Cafe Cookbook, so it was an added bonus since I haven't made much out of it yet. The texture is really spot-on, and of course with maple syrup and margarine, they were worthy of being the first breakfast of the new year.

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-56014350190017876362008-12-31T06:13:00.006-08:002008-12-31T06:49:51.290-08:00

Here are five random cooking ideas I've learnt in my brief cooking obsession thus far.1. The internet. It's totally underrated as a cooking tool (or simply not considered) by way too many people. Google is already answering all your other pressing queries, so why not try asking it what to cook? Try putting ingredients you have in your fridge in as your search terms, e.g. "carrot and tomato

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-7834562094290505412008-12-30T12:20:00.008-08:002008-12-30T23:34:20.136-08:00

Since I like lists, I thought it would be fun to do a few year-end type lists. Since it's already December 30, this will probably spill over into January. Oops. Let's be postmodern about this and acknowledge that the new year is just an arbitrary calendar date. This list is of food books (not cooking) I read and recommend this year.Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life. Barbara

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-47190496465002859002008-12-27T20:09:00.004-08:002008-12-27T20:41:00.246-08:00

If you're looking for a way to while away yet more hours on the great internets with food-related stuff, check out chow.com. It has stories, weekly top ten lists, recipes (some of them are even vegan), really useful forums, and video tips. When I was up all last night jet-lagged, I went through their review of the year in food. Lots of interesting stuff in there, from California's proposition 2

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-526932485419845512008-12-26T03:19:00.005-08:002008-12-27T07:59:20.370-08:00

I got in from Cairo two days ago. It was a good trip, although it feels now a little too brief. I left Seattle cold, but unfrozen, and return to find it transformed - my first experience with snow. Walking outside yesterday morning - carefully armored in thermal, wool, boots, and a duvet-like coat - felt like an acid trip.My plans to glean cooking tips while away mostly fell flat, but I did

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-50823840547657353052008-12-08T16:42:00.003-08:002008-12-08T16:54:47.076-08:00

A few days ago I made the not-tella from Veganomicon - and it turned out great! Since I didn't have the hazelnut extract, I consulted the internets, which revealed by way of this recipe at Su Good Sweets (linked from the Bittersweet blog) that increasing the vanilla extract would do it (I upped it to half a teaspoon). I wanted to experiment with the nutella (i.e. find a new way to eat it, it's

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-9857361579450194672008-12-06T07:43:00.002-08:002008-12-06T07:58:08.104-08:00

At the end of my last post I mentioned I had a never-ending pumpkin and was considering my options. Feeling energetic, I went ahead and tried pumpkin ravioli. There seemed to be two problems: the dough too dry and stiff and my lack of a rolling pin. In retrospect it's very easy to say, "don't go there," regarding ravioli if you don't have a rolling pin, but at the time, I thought it was at least

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-69532546581101379742008-12-03T11:59:00.003-08:002008-12-03T12:20:58.649-08:00

Stumbling across the internets a while back, this idea of frying oatmeal at a blog called Fuss Free Flavours presented itself. You have to soak the oatmeal with a little milk and flour the night before, which is not a big deal but requires a little forethought. Last night there was a long bout of insomnia, so mixed it up. Used some carrots and green onions for the vegetable portion. It turned

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-65148586430526691732008-12-02T18:14:00.002-08:002008-12-02T18:37:53.779-08:00

An interesting profile of "the minimalist chef" Mark Bittman was written up here at the New York Observer. Bittman maintains the New York Times food blog Bitten and has authored "How to Cook Everything" as well as "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian." I own neither, but think I want to get the latter sometime. Although not a vegetarian, Bittman is akin to Michael Pollan in encouraging everyone to

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-77869100374052881252008-11-27T21:06:00.009-08:002008-11-28T09:51:26.222-08:00

So I went to this vegan Thanksgiving potluck today. A lot of firsts: my first Thanksgiving, which I've discovered is a Really Big Deal here in the US (I thought it was mostly having kids make turkeys out of colorful construction paper and dress up as pilgrims and Indians; at least that's what we did in my American elementary school in Kuwait) and first vegan potluck. It was great not to guess

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-42586417841029896342008-11-24T08:35:00.005-08:002008-11-24T10:39:48.907-08:00

What is it about pizza? You know how they say, even when it's bad, it's good? Well, this was actually really good.I'd been thinking of making Fat Free Vegan Kitchen's Polenta Pizza yesterday (out of a desire to avoid making real pizza dough rather than health reasons of avoiding gluten) but then decided to bite the bullet and roll out the real deal. I've made the polenta pizza once before long

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-61385929326859907372008-11-18T23:56:00.004-08:002008-11-19T00:02:24.904-08:00

Parsley is not a herb I like very much, so when I saw a parsley-vinegar sauce on Bitten, I marked it to use some of the green stuff that was coming in the CSA box.Bittman says you can use the sauce over "steaks, pork, or chicken," but commenter number two remarked that they often paired pasta with parsley pesto. In my mind I just registered it as, "okay, I'll throw it on some pasta." As I was

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-2308641770214878282008-11-18T09:19:00.003-08:002008-11-18T09:32:30.831-08:00

I tried the new cookie recipe Isa posted a few days ago yesterday. I replaced most of the canola oil with apple sauce (I added a tablespoon of oil) and the tapioca flour with cornstarch. They really were good, I think the extra vanilla gives them a really rich flavor. The apple sauce made them really soft though. I used Julie Hanson's tip of using an ice-cream scoop to form the cookies, and it

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-41183954282414067462008-11-16T15:01:00.005-08:002009-01-17T07:59:13.431-08:00

I made the famous chickpea cutlets from Veganomicon yesterday, baked. They were good, and I was most impressed by how fast and hassle-free they were to assemble.Today I had a flop and a mid-range success. The flop was falafel. I had two recipes, one from the food memoir "The Language of Baklava," and another in VWAV. I decided to try the first today, and the latter another day. It seemed simple

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-8925802704256449382008-11-14T18:32:00.005-08:002008-11-14T20:11:05.537-08:00

I gave cabbage rolls (mahshy kromb) another shot today. I'm pleased to say it turned out way better than last time. I can attribute the success to several things done differently (mostly due to the guidance of the recipe): using regular cabbage instead of Chinese (Chinese cabbage has a different, thicker texture) and cutting the stalky parts of the cabbage leaves - these add too much bulk. I

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-48591127637208134622008-11-14T08:30:00.003-08:002008-11-14T10:17:15.131-08:00

So, as planned, I used up the last of the overripe pears yesterday. Since they were really soft, I was wondering if they could replace bananas in a quick bread. I turned to the internet, discovered it was possible, and got the idea somewhere to make a bread pudding. Bread puddings have been in the back of my mind since I saw this at veganlovlie. Anyway, Google revealed pear bread puddings did

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-43421077847426963322008-11-13T06:38:00.004-08:002008-11-13T08:26:43.650-08:00

We had fennel again in our CSA box and again I didn't know what to do with it. I considered the gingery fennel I made last time, but then I saw a recipe in Vegan Italiano for a fennel and pear salad. It called for ripe yet firm pears, which I thought was the case with ours until I took a look at them... they were sadly overripe, but I made the most of the situation and set aside the mushy parts

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-63008196048546340282008-11-12T06:17:00.006-08:002008-11-12T08:49:28.691-08:00

I've been tagged by Bethany at Spotted Devil Cat and his Vegan Assistant.Rules: Link the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog. Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links. Let each person know that they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.1. I've had a lot of short-term odd jobs. One of the oddest

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-40343705934986670212008-11-10T20:27:00.003-08:002008-11-11T11:25:51.976-08:00

I've never had collard greens before, so I figured I'd try the Veganomicon easy stir-fried leafy greens recipe which is pretty straightforward, any leafy green with some ginger, garlic and soy sauce. I was expecting the collard greens to taste kind of neutral like chard or kale, but instead it turned out to be bitter like mustard greens, which I'm not a fan of. Oh well. I added some hummus to it

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-23371834231156412392008-11-09T12:39:00.006-08:002008-11-09T13:18:53.724-08:00

Yesterday was my second solo sushi attempt. I did two variations: avocado, carrot, chives, and the same thing but with tofu ricotta added. I think they turned out pretty well, and luckily I still remembered how to roll. The rice was still crunch after 20 minutes, which made me think I was cursed (combined with the cookies that were too sticky, not to mention I forgot to preheat the oven), but I

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-72166957597119996692008-11-08T17:04:00.007-08:002008-11-08T17:30:05.430-08:00

So, last week I checked out a bunch of vegan cookbooks from the library since a bunch of them were just hanging out on the "reshelf" aisle. One of them was "Vegan Italiano," which as you might guess is a collection of vegan Italian recipes, but the cool thing is that they are all authentic Italian recipes - i.e. no tofu, mock meats, soy cheeses, etc. Naturally, this book is right up my alley, and

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-25413812082768679322008-11-05T21:07:00.007-08:002008-11-05T21:38:19.128-08:00

I made lots of food today in an attempt to finish up the CSA produce. We had one mango, turnips, carrots, beets & green onions. There was a mango in there because our farm has some kind of exchange program with other farms so occasionally there are a few very non-local things thrown in.Me and the mr. were both apprehensive about eating the mango as a proper 'dessert fruit' since we're used to

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-20314593839015033252008-11-04T19:42:00.004-08:002008-11-04T19:58:17.888-08:00

I made some cornbread today. This is the third time I've made cornbread, and the third recipe I've tried. To me, it seems to taste better if you throw in some chopped stuff: I used some green onions, carrots, and fresh thyme since that's what I had on hand.I just got a cast-iron skillet, and I think it made a big difference in helping form a nice crispy crust at the bottom of the cornbread.

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-14724621806093352532008-11-03T20:17:00.005-08:002008-11-04T16:46:09.480-08:00

I basically followed Veganomicon's recipe for the spinach-noodle kugel, replacing chard with spinach and breadcrumbs for matzoh meal. Some immensely useful website that I don't remember informed me that you can substitute chard for spinach anywhere as long as you cook it longer*, and I decided to do just that, since spinach recipes abound (rightfully so, spinach is delicious) while poor chard

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-55716070340932379402008-11-01T17:37:00.004-07:002008-11-01T17:50:51.707-07:00

I just bought a new cookbook, and I have to say I'm intimidated. I know, it's just a cookbook and it's not going to bite. Trekking out in the moderate rain armed with an umbrella with the mr. in hand towards the bookstore (about half an hour away, walking), I'd intended to purchase "The Voluptuous Vegan" since I've heard good things about it. But my memory hadn't served me well: it wasn't in

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-4828124234035196402008-10-31T18:52:00.003-07:002008-10-31T19:01:49.611-07:00

We've reached the last day of Veganmofo. This makes me sad; I really enjoyed posting about my daily food adventures.Susan V. from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen's Impossible Vegan Pumpkin Pie strikes me as good an ending as any, actually make that in the top tier of endings. I've made it before, but it's never formed as nice a semi-crust as it did this time (it's 'impossible' because it's crustless). One

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-57428847152834715652008-10-30T17:38:00.006-07:002008-11-04T16:48:21.654-08:00

For lunch today I had the usual left-overs, but decided to add a grain to the kale & peanut sauce that I had yesterday. I chose the white basmati rice purely because it only takes 15 minutes to cook and I was already hungry. Let me tell you, basmati rice is a revelation, nice and buttery just as Isa and Terry promise in Veganomicon. It went really well with the kale and peanut sauce too.I tried

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-32798130282092627172008-10-29T19:49:00.005-07:002008-10-29T20:04:44.732-07:00

We have lots of winter vegetables now: kale, beets, carrots and not-so-wintery cauliflower (& never-ending cabbage & leeks that defy physical laws, but those are for another day).I made the orange glazed beets from Vegan with a Vengeance to deal with the beets and a stray orange. For everything else, I sautéed lots of garlic, added the cauliflower and carrots, then threw in the kale in the last

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-32512054529855834622008-10-28T17:45:00.004-07:002008-10-28T17:59:08.146-07:00

On the NY Times Bitten blog a while back was a post that I think of often when I have leftovers entitled "Creating the Garbage Plate." I have to agree with others who've noted that 'garbage plate' is not a very appetizing name for this phenomenon.Anyway, this was my cleaning-out-the-fridge lunch today. I had some recently cooked chickpeas, about a cup of recently de-frosted tomato sauce, and

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-30702855090510595522008-10-27T22:11:00.004-07:002008-10-27T22:20:55.443-07:00

I've had three leeks sitting in my fridge for maybe two weeks from our produce box, so I've been wanting to do something with them for a long, long time. Luckily they keep pretty well. Today I attempted the Veganomicon leek and bean cassoulet recipe to remedy the situation.I have to say, it turned out really nice. BTW, those white bits at the top are biscuits, not cauliflowers! A very hearty,

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-34791428822962005212008-10-26T18:16:00.005-07:002009-01-17T07:59:49.465-08:00

Feeling inspired by a recent Vegan Dad post about pumpkin-filled manicotti (like giant penne that you stuff then bake in the oven/ similar to cannelloni), I decided to wing my own manicotti concoction. I made some tofu ricotta from Veganomicon that I've been wanting to try for ages, finely chopped cremini mushrooms, and had the mr. grate a carrot and dice a little cauliflower then everything

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-21734616876386627212008-10-26T04:42:00.004-07:002008-10-26T05:27:16.582-07:00

I've made these muffins a bunch of times, but now that I think about it I don't think I've ever baked them as "muffins" before - I tried them more than once in cake pans for lack of muffin tins. Anyway, since moving I have the opposite problem, a muffin tin without cake pans. But I digress. These muffins are totally delicious, and they were my gateway into pumpkin love.Even though the pumpkin we

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-60003665473020982652008-10-24T20:00:00.004-07:002008-10-24T20:07:24.972-07:00

I finally took the second half of the dough that's been sitting in the freezer for ages* and made pizza with it. It was pretty good, but not great, and I couldn't really put my finger on what prevented it from reaching greatness. I think it was something about the tomatoes.Anyway, this is what I put on it:tomatoescremini mushroomsvegan mozzarellavegan sausagered bell pepperI definitely want to

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-70826591734597389702008-10-23T20:33:00.004-07:002008-10-23T20:39:17.206-07:00

I used the Veganomicon recipe for the breaded baked ziti to make this. I was kind of in a rush, so I used breadcrumbs from a box instead of making some myself, and substituted spiral pasta for ziti. It turned out pretty well, I really recommend this.

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-43961148640150698422008-10-22T19:50:00.002-07:002008-10-22T19:57:46.354-07:00

Here's the sweet potato gnocchi I made yesterday for dinner, served with the thyme vinaigrette and lemon cashew cream at Vegan Yum Yum. We had it as left-overs today, and it was not bad at all. I think yesterday I was tasting less because I was distracted with having people over. I also made the arugula salad from Veganomicon, with a few substitutions, like quinoa instead of bulgar. Today I made

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-77781701165531121892008-10-21T17:09:00.002-07:002008-10-21T17:28:58.643-07:00

I made a stir-fry yesterday with cabbage, red bell peppers, and tofu in an attempt to use up the cabbage & red bell pepper. It was pretty good, the cabbage and pepper were nice and crisp so that was a nice contrasting texture to the soft tofu and noodles.**Today we have friends coming over for dinner, so I made sweet potato gnocchi. I was worried about not having enough time so I started early,

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-40968893490085190102008-10-20T19:18:00.003-07:002008-11-04T16:47:23.642-08:00

Because I didn't want to go out to the supermarket for toast, I made bread. Not of the replacing-toast sort, though. I found an easy enough recipe in my Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites. It's an everything but the kitchen sink kind of recipe: one cup each of corn meal, whole weat flour, and plain old white; plus raisins, molasses, and brown sugar with some cinnamon, allspice, and even

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-91335605776690037312008-10-18T16:49:00.003-07:002008-10-18T16:56:21.116-07:00

So I used the Vegan with a Vengeance recipe for Big Giantoid Crunchy Peanut Butter-Oatmeal Cookies to make these, except I used creamy peanut butter instead of crunchy (I never buy crunchy, but I'm guessing it would've been good here) and added about half a cup of chocolate chips. To up the healthiness quotient, I did my usual subbing of some apple sauce for the oil and went with half white and

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-19021614404611810232008-10-17T11:55:00.006-07:002008-10-17T19:22:14.621-07:00

So, today was my first kale cooking endeavor. Lots of firsts this week. I did a combination of the garlicky kale recipe in Vegan with a Vengeance and a recipe for Chinese cashew fried rice I found at the Vegetarian About page.So I sauteed the garlic for a few minutes, added the rice, threw in chopped kale for a few minutes, and in the last minute added mashed silken tofu, a small bit of leftover

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-88261678955556926702008-10-16T20:07:00.003-07:002008-10-16T20:23:10.602-07:00

I decided to use up some left-overs today / try and finish up the stuff left in our produce box.One of the main "left behinders" was the fennel - luckily my Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites had a recipe for gingery fennel with garlic. Fennel is hard to just throw in anywhere, it has a really distinctive (possibly overpowering) liquorice taste. Also, the fennel recipe was the only one I

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-30218648656906985772008-10-15T18:31:00.004-07:002008-10-16T05:00:08.037-07:00

I had a very big cooking day today, in several respects.I used yeast for the first time. Yeast is what they put in (most) bread to make it rise and get puffy, I'm not really sure how it's different to baking soda and baking powder, which do the same thing. One difference: yeast takes a lot longer so you need to wait about an hour for the yeast to work its magic in the middle, and you also need to

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-5351891080828464682008-10-14T07:58:00.004-07:002008-10-14T08:56:00.329-07:00

I made the Irish soda bread yesterday! From the Elizavegan blog. It was really easy as promised (and fast, not including oven time, although even that was not too bad since I was cooking/washing dishes throughout), although shaping it was not, so it came out resembling a gigantic oatmeal cookie. It was pretty tasty too, so I think I will try more bread soon.So for dinner yesterday we had pasta (a

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-16737356870418303082008-10-13T14:23:00.008-07:002008-10-13T14:50:39.749-07:00

We had left-over Snobby Joes for lunch today - the mr. is home because he's sick. This was my second time making them and they turned out much better this time - I'm not sure why, but I think it's related to making sure they were hot when I served them, and increasing the amount of chili pepper (which I'm increasingly fond of these days).Actually, I did a lot of kitcheny things yesterday: I made

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-85891845220563381002008-10-12T07:22:00.004-07:002008-10-12T07:29:24.930-07:00

Yesterday for dinner the mr. and I made the fettucine alfreda from vegan with a vengeance. We had it with broccoli and very thiny sliced radishes, which by the way, no longer taste like radishes when thiny sliced and sauteed. It was my first time trying out the much-celebrated nutritional yeast (a powdery yellow vegan foodstuff that gives a cheesy taste to things). The sauce was interesting,

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-17775670792837543802008-10-11T16:30:00.005-07:002008-10-11T16:39:24.086-07:00

When I wrote the other day that I never make Egyptian food, it was a half-lie.One can of ful (fava beans) from the Middle Eastern market in a pan with some onions, garlic, cumin, a tomatoe if you have it, and a few drops of lemon is a very good breakfast indeed, with (pita) bread on the side to wipe your plate clean.

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-67800659102747833662008-10-10T16:31:00.005-07:002008-10-10T20:50:31.908-07:00

I have a lot of unfamiliar things in this week's box of produce. At the top of the list: tomatillos. The only recipe I found for them was salsa verde in Veganomicon, so I went ahead - replacing cilantro with parsley & putting chili powder in lieu of an actual chili. Then I made corn fritters with the two ears of corn using the Vegan With A Vengeance recipe to go with the salsa verde. The salsa

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-3363136099760811692008-10-09T15:59:00.002-07:002008-10-09T16:42:38.989-07:00

A few weeks ago when I was mashing potatoes to make gnocchi (I know I mention this as often as possible, bear with me), it occurred to me how good they looked, and I realized at a later date I would have to mash some potatoes to eat as a final product.Coming to the end of our CSA box of produce, one of the last things remaining was a bag of freshly-dug red potatoes: it was the perfect day. I left

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-84200204606863384762008-10-08T08:03:00.007-07:002008-10-08T11:09:18.589-07:00

I'm not sure when I really started cooking. I think the first thing I cooked as an adult was a vegetarian chili recipe in the book "Get Crafty: Hip Home Ec" by Jean Railla. The section on cooking in that book was short, but very inspiring, and it encouraged me to give it a shot. Despite the inspiring encouragement, for the longest time, the chili was all I made: it featured at potlucks, dinner

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-19438355639148444372008-10-07T12:55:00.004-07:002008-10-07T13:08:07.808-07:00

This turned out pretty well. Another sweet main-course dish (unless you think soup isn't a main course - it was actually the only course yesterday, unless you'd like to count hot toast as a side).Another plus: super-easy to make.Roasted Sweet Potato and Pear SoupModified from Real Simple magazineServes 4 generouslyTakes about an hourIngredients:1 tablespoon olive oil1 medium onion2 pears, peeled

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-35739467628393072322008-10-06T13:50:00.004-07:002008-10-06T17:45:39.082-07:00

For my painting class today I'd volunteered to be the one to bring snacks, so I made the Apple Pie-Crumb Cake Muffins and Glazed Orange Scones, both from Vegan with a Vengeance. For some reason the muffins didn't turn out so great - although they were so great last week when I made them at home - but the glazed orange scones rocked!They look kind of cheesy (it's the orange glaze!) in the picture,

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-19487892734990788002008-10-03T18:04:00.004-07:002008-10-04T13:16:40.690-07:00

My friends taught me how to make sushi. At our local natural and organic supermarket the salesclerk scanned the packet of seaweed, bamboo rolling mat, sushi rice and rice vinegar - my guiding cookbook had preemptively warned against using regular vinegar.“Ooh, sushi!” she gushed. “Is this your first time?”"It'll be my first time without guidance." She said she'd recently undertaken the same

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-89833664106393160482008-10-03T13:44:00.003-07:002008-10-03T13:59:54.092-07:00

This was supposed to be last night's dinner, but instead we went out to watch the potential vice presidents debating each other - strange, I know - and ended up eating out (hummus platter and onion rings - a nice balance I think between healthy vs. unhealthy).Anyway, since it was all pretty much ready, I went ahead and ate it for lunch. I was inspired by Mark Bittman's recipe for pasta with

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-15971642022709254502008-10-02T16:46:00.002-07:002008-10-02T16:47:39.300-07:00

Tell me I don't have a future as a kick-ass tattoo artist.

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-48609317898400015532008-10-02T16:04:00.006-07:002008-10-02T16:23:09.369-07:00

I made the Apple Pie-Crumb Cake Muffins from Vegan with a Vengeance last night for dessert, since I needed to use the fruit originally utilized as pretty models for my still-life for art class. The big red apple seen in the background seemed like a logical place to begin this endeavor.The mr. said, "So we're eating art?"I've included a photo of the before and after to the left to help you get a

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-56982229788104084712008-10-01T15:51:00.004-07:002008-10-01T16:12:27.970-07:00

I did an experiment today. It wasn't intended to be an experiment, it was just supposed to be a walk. I left the house with only a set of keys for a 20-minute brisk walk. It took me a while to decide to do this. I don't really usually like leaving the house, especially not alone. This is not because of safety issues.So, as I used to do especially right when I first got here, I let myself walk in

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-60157649018550076552008-10-01T11:17:00.007-07:002008-10-01T11:57:21.800-07:00

Last week me and the mr. trekked out to the library book sale, and I was able to stock up on bargain-basement-priced cookbooks, one of which was Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites. Having read on one of my favorite blogs about how great her Moosewood cookbook is, I got it. Now, my normal cookbook relationship is to flip to the index and see how I can use up the vegetables in my fridge before

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-86782701166547054262008-09-30T12:08:00.008-07:002008-09-30T12:27:28.194-07:00

Vegan Mo Fo begins tomorrow! Oh boy.Well, things are pretty active on the cooking front: yesterday I made gnocchi from VWAV (Vegan with a Vengeance) and topped it with basil-spinach pesto. The gnocchi turned out really well, and, as expected, took in total, a really long time. I took some photos along the way. I also have a tip for anyone attempting gnocchi: after mixing and rolling out the dough

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-33966451940377779092008-09-24T11:44:00.007-07:002008-09-24T11:56:19.641-07:00

Just signed up for vegan mo fo - the vegan month of food, starting Wednesday October 1st, so exactly a week to go.Today's left-overs: I made Vegan Dad's Potato Cauliflower Mash, to use up my cauliflower - exactly as the name suggests, potatoes and cauliflower mashed together. It's pretty close to plain mashed potatoes, but the cauliflower adds a nice crunch to the texture. I left out the sweet

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-66502006396546057542008-09-21T09:36:00.002-07:002008-09-21T09:43:16.081-07:00

Yesterday the mr. made a few announcements. 1 - that I am good at a lot of things, but not excellent at any. 2 - that I should choose one thing to be excellent at and dedicate my life to it.He tried to lure it out of me: "What do you enjoy doing the most? What could you do all day?""I like doing lots of things. Right now I like cooking and crochet.""Then you should do that. Go to cooking school.

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-33380805361222659962008-09-20T21:29:00.005-07:002008-09-20T21:36:08.255-07:00

So, if you scroll down slightly & peek at the left-hand column, you'll find I've gone through my archives and labeled a bunch of old posts, to make my archives more accessible for all (ok, mostly me). I have to say, I like looking through old blog stuff. Currently the mr. is working very hard - he has been for hours.Here are a bunch of things I "want" to do but...:1- study for my US driving

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-6660621055082331842008-09-12T10:10:00.004-07:002008-09-12T10:15:00.955-07:00

One of my friends advised me, before moving to Seattle from Cairo to join my already-established husband, that I had to find something. That I had to throw myself into something there, anything. Art class starts Monday.Today: library (the new Oprah magazine is out. I just read the new one two days ago - that's like a whole new magazine) and park?Yesterday: fettuccine with classic tomato

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-35574473696921920232008-09-10T10:00:00.003-07:002008-09-11T11:27:28.272-07:00

My original plan for the mr's birthday was to make him homemade gnocchi, but I had to change course because I wasn't feeling too well, so I needed something slightly less time-consuming and labor-intensive. I turned to Vegan Dad's Chickpea Coconut Curry served over rice, with a side of guacamole and a not-quite 'dessert' of Susan V's fat-free blueberry muffins.So, the first three images are from

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-13220493768470684062008-09-06T17:38:00.002-07:002008-09-06T17:59:06.000-07:00

This is what we ate today - recipe here. It made four patties. We topped the burgers with tomatoes, pickles, avocado and vegan mozzarella cheese. Not bad at all. For some reason I got really frustrated in the burger-making process - it started with me asking the mr. if the onions were chopped finely enough, and him saying no - so I kind of made him take over, and I became in charge of picking out

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-13646370752494231202008-09-05T10:02:00.005-07:002008-09-05T11:22:49.680-07:00

Yesterday for dinner I did end up making the spinach-tofu, only the spinach shrunk down to about 1/16th of its size so I felt compelled to add a carrot and a few stalks of celery. Learning from previous mistakes (wait - there are no mistakes), I sliced the carrots as thin as I could so they would cook fast. Initially I threw them in with the spinach, but since the spinach was already all wilted,

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-62480492928611901412008-09-04T14:15:00.003-07:002008-09-04T14:33:11.933-07:00

These were the remains of the braised cauliflower I made yesterday; I ate them for lunch today. They look awesome in this picture, and I think the texture ultimately turned out really well, but weren't too flavorful - my fault, I believe, for modifying the recipe too much (left out some spices, reduced others).Today for dinner: probably a spinach-tofu peanut sauce concoction, as inspired by this

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-59580561741262304882008-09-03T18:15:00.005-07:002008-09-08T10:54:23.686-07:00

I am braising (Vegan with a Vengeance - my cookbook - describes braising as "sauteeing and steaming in... sauce") cauliflower, unsuccessfully I think. My neighbor just walked over to borrow some salt. I thought those kinds of cliches only happened in the movies. (At least it wasn't sugar).

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-39458476930681546422008-06-17T13:14:00.000-07:002008-06-17T13:23:14.240-07:00

The rats are rude, hissing dirty whistles at no-one in particular.

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-34393753781446566282008-05-18T07:23:00.004-07:002008-05-18T07:27:13.517-07:00

What is rare is the courage to follow the talent to the dark place where it leads."-Erica Jongfrom the book "The Lie that Tells a Truth: A Guide to Writing Fiction," by John Dufresne.

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-60742926571202636292008-05-12T13:24:00.002-07:002008-05-12T13:34:36.224-07:00

"Turning something into a ritual eliminates the question, Why am I doing this?"-from the book "The Creative Habit," by Twyla TharpI'm hoping to set up some of my own creative rituals.**Websites to check out:Bitten - NY Times food blog. Bonus: almost every time I check it, new stuff is up.Life, Love and Food - food and writing happily marriedIt'll have to be a food duo then. Too bad; I so wanted

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-47487856712620167242008-04-13T01:30:00.002-07:002008-04-13T01:36:16.495-07:00

According to ground-breaking new studies, leaving one's dwelling at least once every 24-hour rotation helps maintain sanity.Scientists say further researcher is needed to verify findings.

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-78827778767301762882008-04-10T07:26:00.002-07:002008-04-10T07:36:03.261-07:00

I want to be a writer, or an artist. I want to be, but I'm worried that I can't, because I have too many secrets. I used to wish that I was the kind of artist who naturally wanted (or could) paint soft watercolors of nature scenes, the felluca bobbing up and down gently with Nile water lapping at its side and a clear blue sky overhead...I don't want that anymore. You can't write about what you

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-4876203549776741642008-04-06T10:50:00.002-07:002008-04-06T12:30:21.757-07:00

Hi, internet world. I'm not writing much these days. And obviously I haven't blogged in a while, as usual. Everytime I type up a little post, a few lines or even a full paragraph, I pause and think that it reveals too much, or that nobody really will be all that interested.I'm not writing because the past few times when I write, I feel it is so bad, that I really should stop. That why, why am I

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-64909624967693927822008-03-10T07:29:00.007-07:002008-03-10T14:11:23.268-07:00

A lot of work these days, punctuated/ ameliorated with listening to the Juno soundtrack.Yesterday I went to a lecture about writing by playwright Naomi Wallace - I hadn't heard about her before. It was a pretty good lecture, about teaching students to write as an act of transgression. Very Marxist undertones, which made me want to know more about Marxism. I think the lecture and the combination

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-49182776182299384532008-03-08T03:58:00.003-08:002008-03-08T04:15:35.315-08:00

Well, not that adventuresome.I ran out of After 8 the other day and was feeling low and wanted a (vegan) chocolate fix. So I made a recipe-free chocolate pudding.Mix peanut butter, cocoa powder, flour and add a little bit of water together in a bowl. Add sliced banana on top if you wish. Eat. I don't think it gets any easier or faster than that. It didn't blow me away taste-wise, but the fastness

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-35782468712110711512008-02-27T12:14:00.001-08:002008-02-27T12:42:10.436-08:00

So it finally hit me, after more than a year of blogging, that my blog is about life after college.

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-68710989210276435672008-02-26T13:43:00.003-08:002008-02-27T13:30:34.454-08:00

That highly controversial and (so) frequently thought-provoking blogger Penelope Trunk, had this to say in her most recent blog post: "Here’s how you figure out what to do next in your career: you line up all the stuff you like to do and you figure out which one will pay best."It's very reality-check, in a way your parents would be when talking to you. Key points:"Have you been writing songs

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-17757132773411508772008-02-24T03:16:00.003-08:002008-02-24T03:34:08.360-08:00

I used to think when I was younger that if you knew what the right thing to do was, you would just do it. If you didn't do it, it meant you didn't really think it was the right thing to do. It's kind of like what Plato says, about how humans strive after the Good, and in a sense everything you do is good. Every decision you make is because you think it is the best decision.But it's not really

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-43686685467435968432008-02-18T07:10:00.003-08:002008-02-18T07:18:10.439-08:00

I admit I use the internet as a kind of crutch, to fill up time. To kill time, in fact, that very worst of things. So I go online and expect to be Entertained. Thoughtful, funny emails filling my inbox. Friends aplenty online eager to exchange witty banter and meaningful conversation. Updated blogs with useful meaty posts. Instead I find emails from Facebook, friends with little red circles

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-50810788191584492492008-02-14T09:15:00.004-08:002008-02-14T13:34:56.711-08:00

"We live in a forest of unspoken expectations." A great quote by my favorite advice columnist, Cary Tennis.**I ate fried bread today and it was wonderful. It wasn't exactly vegan (fried in butter, friends) and so definitely not healthy, but certainly delicious.**Penelope Trunk has a great post on her experience with postpartum depression that is shockingly honest.

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-83286975749157840142008-01-07T12:19:00.001-08:002008-01-07T12:25:32.253-08:00

I had a good day yesterday, so I wanted to deconstruct it. Today is much less good, maybe for the same reasons yesterday was good.What was good yesterday:eating fruitssocial interaction - made a few phone callswriting for a full hour in the morningwalking in the sunworkingI got a bit of sun today (a few minutes, without walking), and some social interaction - too much, which made me cranky and

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-37500909480531548992008-01-06T07:37:00.000-08:002008-01-06T07:56:21.713-08:00

will make you a better writer.I'm rereading Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within, which I honestly cannot recommend highly enough. Her advice is simple but essential. Like most writing advice its core is, ' just write,' but she also offers a lot of encouragement and good ways to view writing. She advises that we write for sanity and as a way to penetrate our lives.

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-68513889114863428022008-01-05T06:08:00.000-08:002008-01-05T06:27:09.274-08:00

I decided to take the weekend off. Not that I've been busting a gut working or anything, but I just think some breathing room, time to do something else and not feel guilty for 'not working' when as I've mentioned before 'working' so often translates into a rotation between Facebook and the blogs I check everyday, is a pretty good idea.I actually did some proper writing today - pages and pages.

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-86542924681648411672008-01-04T03:34:00.000-08:002008-01-04T03:42:45.583-08:00

A Marxian quote for you:"The worker only feels himself outside his work, and in his work feels outside himself. He feels at home when he is not working, and when he is working he does not feel at home." Karl Marx, Collected Works, Vol. 3, p. 274, quoted in the journal of International Socialism in an article entitled "Reality TV: The Big Brother Phenomenon."The article itself is very

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-63847372904957086822007-12-27T03:42:00.001-08:002008-09-20T21:25:54.172-07:00

I'm waiting for my sister to come home so we can go to a family lunch together. 4:30 on a Thursday afternoon, but that doesn't mean much if you work from home.I wrote an email today to my ex telling him that I am writingly constipated. It doesn't feel good, but it's not bad either. It just is, as faux Buddhist as that sounds.I don't want to share my writing. I don't want to write because what's

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-39232191452156809342007-11-28T13:49:00.001-08:002007-11-28T14:24:58.331-08:00

It's not yet 12, but it's still too late to be up on the internet pretending to work (it's amazing how long that lasts. It's as if by virtue of the fact that I'm sitting behind the computer, some part of me actually believes I'm working. That part is a dumbo).So, I sort of had this mini blog identity crisis. Such a nice problem to have really, if you think of all the problems you could possibly

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-48365625541616286152007-11-20T03:32:00.000-08:002007-11-20T07:51:56.539-08:00

Writerly friends, colleagues, strangers:I've recently come across a wealth of information on the (majestic/overrated?) internet about writing.Sunday Scribblings- An online group writing project where every week a new prompt is put up.Chuck Palahniuk (of Fight Club fame)'s writing tips.About.com's fiction writing section. Check out some of the new year's resolutions for writers. Also reviews books

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-15826757137378048212007-11-16T09:39:00.001-08:002008-09-20T21:26:35.052-07:00

Dear Blog,I actually have work to do, so I'm not sure what the fact that all I really want to do is post this picture means.

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-26793697895632817672007-11-13T06:24:00.001-08:002008-09-20T21:27:21.275-07:00

Wow, I really have been posting infrequently.Part of the reason is that I'm thinking of changing the blog's URL to something more memorable, and yes, something without a spelling mistake.So it's like every time I come to post, I'm thinking, it shouldn't be here, it should be on the other, better address.I'm trying to write more, like I said before, although I quit NaNoWriMo '07 to try and work on

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32506050.post-7407177575348384292007-10-31T02:31:00.001-07:002007-10-31T03:16:06.525-07:00

Doing something, even badly, is much better than not doing it at all (as the wise Jim Munroe once wrote on his blog), because something is better than nothing.Anyway, if like me you agree that (specifically) writing is better than not writing, go ahead and sign up for NaNoWriMo ([inter]National Novel Writing Month). It's starting tomorrow. Oh my. November somehow seemed further away than

yasminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02347386322304198631noreply@blogger.com0