B"H
For the second year in a row, the Mets have taken until the last day of the season to dash the hopes of their loyal fans. I have been a Mets fan for a long time and I wonder which is worse -- when the Mets are so terrible no one even expects them to crawl out of the cellar, or something like this year and last when they dangle a carrot in front of us all season only to pull it away on the last day of the season.
To make matters worse, they're demolishing the stadium I grew up with -- Shea Stadium. I'll never again walk up those steep ramps of Shea to the "nose bleed" section. I'll never again see those orange seats or the unisphere from Shea. I'll never walk from Main Street in Queens to the Shea.
I have memories of Shea -- one was a banner day that I went to with my brother and father and I wore my banner -- I sewed a skirt and batiked a tee shirt (with the number of my then favorite player, #23, Teddy Martinez -- I remember it was 23 because I was standing in the aisle watching the game (returning to my seat from the lady's room) and I was standing in someone's way and he yelled to me "hey, 23, skidoo!"
I remember my first time at Shea -- it was a night game and I was 9 -- and from our vantage point in "general admission", the slope of the seats was so steep and the night so dark, I thought I was going to fall on the field.
I remember a time when my brother and I (and I think my sister?) were leaving the stadium and we saw Ralph Kiner and Roy McMillan (who was a coach for the Mets in those days -- he had been a shortstop and I grew up wanting to be a shortstop) and I went up to them and pointed to the former shortstop and said, "aren't you Roy McMillan?" I think I made his day -- I have a feeling Ralph Kiner was the one who was usually recognized when the two of them walked together, but Roy McMillan was one of my baseball heroes.....
Sigh. What can we do about our Met? Omar, are you reading this? We need some relief pitching! Really.... seriously.... and some starting pitching would be nice too. I think we also need a healthy Ryan Church. And Jose Reyes to keep his good attitude, and Davie Wright to be there in the clutch and Carlos-squared to keep hitting those home runs ("... knocking those home runs over the wall...") and Damian and Luis and Endy and Duanar and newbies Daniel Murphy and Nicky Evans.....
So, Mets, listen to a long time fan -- I know you all can do it. You just need to believe (just ask the late Tug McGraw, to paraphrase Archie Bunker, "Mr. we could use a man like Tug McGraw again...." -- our first best reliever....) and you need to play like you have to prove to the world that the last two years were flukes (this year might have been very different if the team didn't start out believing they were losers after last years major crash and burn.....)
Any time a team loses not just a game but a trip to the playoffs on the last day of the season it means they should have been there, should have been with the "boys of October", should be the ones looking to the World Series.
So, next April (or March???) I will be there, at the TV, rooting my team on.... Let's go Mets (2009).
Check out my squidoo lenses (articles):
Strong Biblical Women
Strong Biblical Women 2
Why Be Vegetarian
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 1
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 2
Rosh Hashana
Quick Vegan Cooking
Creating new recipes from old
Strong Biblical Women Part 3
Hanuka
About the Jewish Calendar
Witches and Morality
Presidential Trivia Quiz
Christmas and the Jewish Single
Math Hints 1 -- Adding Fractions
Presidents1: George Washington
Passover: Holiday of Freedom
Ruth and Naomi
John and John Quincy Adams
Television Trivia Quiz
Check out my other blogs:
Israel and it's Place in the World
Jewish Singles
Strong Jewish Women
Check out my other merchandise:
my Etsy store
my ShopIt store
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Food!
B"H
One of my friends (who also is a blogger and has introduced me to certain blogging things) has been bugging me to do some vegan blogging. So now that I have a blog that is a catch-all for any topic I want to write about, I think it's time to at least start with one recipe.
I have lately gotten hooked on one of those sandwich machines. What this machine does is take a sandwich and, like a waffle iron, cooks the sandwich and presses into a cute shape. I love the way the sandwiches come out. I mentioned this to the above friend at the kiddush (ablations???) at our synagogue yesterday and she asked me what kind of sandwiches I could make that were vegan. So I told her.
The first thing I have to tell you how to make is something I call "green stuff". I should probably come up with a better name -- this makes it sound like something Bartholomew Cubbins ran away from in some perverted Dr. Seuss book. But in reality, my "green stuff" is just a mixture of dark green veggies, some walnuts, some mushrooms and some spices.
This "recipe" (such as it is) calls for Kale, Spinach, other greens as available (when I can get it I add watercress), broccoli, garlic, Shiitake (or your favorite kind) mushrooms (I get them frozen, which makes is SO much easier!), walnuts, oil to sauté with, flax oil, your favorite mustard and spices (I use French's spicy brown mustard and curry powder). I take my large frying pan (with a cover), put in about a tablespoon of canola or olive oil. I add the greens (1/2 to one bunch of kale, about 1/2 bag frozen spinach, about 1/2 bag frozen broccoli and/or a few florets of broccoflower) and about 1/2 bag frozen, sliced mushrooms (sometimes I add a bit of bell pepper, depending on what I have in the house) and a few cloves minced garlic. I sauté (in a covered pan -- stirring occasionally) all this until it's soft (leafy greens are wilted, garlic and mushroom cooked through). I cool a bit, then add this to a handful of walnuts (1/4- 1/2 cup) in a food processor, add spices and mustard and 2 Tablespoons flax seed oil (for omega-3 fatty acids) and process in the food processor until very smooth. I then put this in a container and keep it in the refrigerator (it's best when used within a week -- it smells REALLY bad when it spoils).
Another thing I make that I often use in the sandwiches is sautéed vegetables. I do this with the same large frying pan, add a Tablespoon of canola or olive oil, chop up bell peppers (the more colors the better -- green, red, yellow, orange, purple -- purple's my favorite), garlic, sometimes onion or red onion, zucchini, sometimes eggplant, chestnuts (when I have them), mushrooms (see above), whatever interesting veggies I run across in my meanderings during the week (lately I've been adding purple potatoes)..... add a bit of grated fresh ginger (about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon), then add the veggies, mustard (see above), curry powder (or your favorite spices) and sauté (in a covered pan), stirring occasionally, until everything is cooked. I either eat it then or store it in the refrigerator.
So, now, back to the sandwiches.....
First, I warm up the sandwich maker. Then I take either an English muffin (I use sprouted grain bread) or two slices of my favorite bread -- I spread one side with "green stuff". If I have hummus in the house, I spread hummus on the other side. As a filling, I add either the sautéed vegetables or sliced black olives. I close the sandwich, brush canola or olive oil on top, flip the sandwich onto the sandwich maker and brush oil on the other side. Close and lock the machine (each machine is a bit different) and cook until brown.
Check out my squidoo lenses (articles):
Strong Biblical Women
Strong Biblical Women 2
Why Be Vegetarian
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 1
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 2
Rosh Hashana
Quick Vegan Cooking
Creating new recipes from old
Strong Biblical Women Part 3
Hanuka
About the Jewish Calendar
Witches and Morality
Presidential Trivia Quiz
Christmas and the Jewish Single
Math Hints 1 -- Adding Fractions
Presidents1: George Washington
Passover: Holiday of Freedom
Ruth and Naomi
John and John Quincy Adams
Television Trivia Quiz
Tamar -- Mother of Kings
Jewish Perspective of G-d
Check out my other blogs:
Jewish Sandwich
Jewish Singles
Strong Jewish Women
Everything Goes
Bayit and Garden
Check out my other merchandise:
Other merchandise
One of my friends (who also is a blogger and has introduced me to certain blogging things) has been bugging me to do some vegan blogging. So now that I have a blog that is a catch-all for any topic I want to write about, I think it's time to at least start with one recipe.
I have lately gotten hooked on one of those sandwich machines. What this machine does is take a sandwich and, like a waffle iron, cooks the sandwich and presses into a cute shape. I love the way the sandwiches come out. I mentioned this to the above friend at the kiddush (ablations???) at our synagogue yesterday and she asked me what kind of sandwiches I could make that were vegan. So I told her.
The first thing I have to tell you how to make is something I call "green stuff". I should probably come up with a better name -- this makes it sound like something Bartholomew Cubbins ran away from in some perverted Dr. Seuss book. But in reality, my "green stuff" is just a mixture of dark green veggies, some walnuts, some mushrooms and some spices.
This "recipe" (such as it is) calls for Kale, Spinach, other greens as available (when I can get it I add watercress), broccoli, garlic, Shiitake (or your favorite kind) mushrooms (I get them frozen, which makes is SO much easier!), walnuts, oil to sauté with, flax oil, your favorite mustard and spices (I use French's spicy brown mustard and curry powder). I take my large frying pan (with a cover), put in about a tablespoon of canola or olive oil. I add the greens (1/2 to one bunch of kale, about 1/2 bag frozen spinach, about 1/2 bag frozen broccoli and/or a few florets of broccoflower) and about 1/2 bag frozen, sliced mushrooms (sometimes I add a bit of bell pepper, depending on what I have in the house) and a few cloves minced garlic. I sauté (in a covered pan -- stirring occasionally) all this until it's soft (leafy greens are wilted, garlic and mushroom cooked through). I cool a bit, then add this to a handful of walnuts (1/4- 1/2 cup) in a food processor, add spices and mustard and 2 Tablespoons flax seed oil (for omega-3 fatty acids) and process in the food processor until very smooth. I then put this in a container and keep it in the refrigerator (it's best when used within a week -- it smells REALLY bad when it spoils).
Another thing I make that I often use in the sandwiches is sautéed vegetables. I do this with the same large frying pan, add a Tablespoon of canola or olive oil, chop up bell peppers (the more colors the better -- green, red, yellow, orange, purple -- purple's my favorite), garlic, sometimes onion or red onion, zucchini, sometimes eggplant, chestnuts (when I have them), mushrooms (see above), whatever interesting veggies I run across in my meanderings during the week (lately I've been adding purple potatoes)..... add a bit of grated fresh ginger (about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon), then add the veggies, mustard (see above), curry powder (or your favorite spices) and sauté (in a covered pan), stirring occasionally, until everything is cooked. I either eat it then or store it in the refrigerator.
So, now, back to the sandwiches.....
First, I warm up the sandwich maker. Then I take either an English muffin (I use sprouted grain bread) or two slices of my favorite bread -- I spread one side with "green stuff". If I have hummus in the house, I spread hummus on the other side. As a filling, I add either the sautéed vegetables or sliced black olives. I close the sandwich, brush canola or olive oil on top, flip the sandwich onto the sandwich maker and brush oil on the other side. Close and lock the machine (each machine is a bit different) and cook until brown.
Check out my squidoo lenses (articles):
Strong Biblical Women
Strong Biblical Women 2
Why Be Vegetarian
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 1
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 2
Rosh Hashana
Quick Vegan Cooking
Creating new recipes from old
Strong Biblical Women Part 3
Hanuka
About the Jewish Calendar
Witches and Morality
Presidential Trivia Quiz
Christmas and the Jewish Single
Math Hints 1 -- Adding Fractions
Presidents1: George Washington
Passover: Holiday of Freedom
Ruth and Naomi
John and John Quincy Adams
Television Trivia Quiz
Tamar -- Mother of Kings
Jewish Perspective of G-d
Check out my other blogs:
Jewish Sandwich
Jewish Singles
Strong Jewish Women
Everything Goes
Bayit and Garden
Check out my other merchandise:
Other merchandise
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Project Walkway
B"H
My teen nieces were visiting me for the summer and they got me hooked on "Project Runway". I've really gotten hooked on it -- I supposed my years of being a closet designer (ok, not too closet -- I've shown my sketches to just about anyone who'll look at them)has contributed to my mania over the show. I know that I could never do what they do (well, at least not now) because sewing just isn't my thing (I'd like to get to know this better, but it's hard for me -- When I went to F.I.T., I tried to take "flat pattern design" (I think I still have the text for it) twice (I was so far behind after a few weeks, that I dropped the class both times) and I tried draping once (again, I fell so far behind that I knew I'd never pass the class). Maybe I should have stuck with it, I don't know.
When I was in High School, I learned how to knit (I already knew how to crochet since elementary school -- was it 5th grade???) and I started creating/designing clothing for my Barbie doll (It's about as much as I had patience for). I used to bring it to a concession store in a nearby town and sell them. I didn't exactly become rich selling the clothing, but I sold a few here and there.
I've spent the vast majority of my life trying to make a living doing things I like doing. I can design (as in draw designs either on paper or on the computer) but I can't make the clothing, shoes or purses. I can make some of the jewelry I design, but I can't afford the expense of doing more than one or two designs a year or so. I've also been doing graphic design for a number of years (20ish???).
A number of years ago, someone I knew introduced me to a woman who prints t-shirts who needed an artist to help with design, so I did some work for her. That led me to create a design, ostensibly for tees, of Strong Jewish Women (scenes from the lives of biblical women) -- I started with Miriam, added Devora (Deborah) and Queen Esther. I have since added Sara, Rivka (Rebecca), Rachael (Rachel), Yocheved (Moshe, Moses's, mother), Tzippora (Moshe's wife) ,Yael, Ruth and Naomi, Hana and Another Esther.
But I'm also working on the jewelry designs (you can see a couple of them and a couple of my doll clothing designs at my etsy shop and at my Shop-it site. Maybe that's my problem? I'm not focusing in on one thing? But I love all these things so much -- I enjoy creating and selling my artistic visions.
But when I see "Project Runway", I see myself in the rolls of the people who are there designing and making their own creations. Even the ones who end up "out" (as in going home) have a vision (even if I don't like their "stuff"). I find myself right now wondering who the last three will be and who will win. I have noticed one thing -- the people who listen to the judges and make changes based on their advice rather than constantly pushing their own agenda (though "trying to please the judges" without any vision also doesn't do it -- I knew the entire episode that Keith was "out" that he was going to end up gone because he was trying too hard to please the judges without being true to his own vision) are the ones who do the best (LeAnn -- I hope I spelled her name right -- learned very well from being in the bottom two in the second week and adjusted her work to showcase her vision without sacrificing style and advice she got from the judges -- she's won the most recent two challenges including this week's Diane Von Furstenberg challenge).
To all the designers who have left or are still on right now -- good luck in the future -- my heart is with you.
Check out my squidoo lenses (articles):
Strong Biblical Women
Strong Biblical Women 2
Why Be Vegetarian
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 1
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 2
Rosh Hashana
Quick Vegan Cooking
Creating new recipes from old
Strong Biblical Women Part 3
Hanuka
About the Jewish Calendar
Witches and Morality
Presidential Trivia Quiz
Christmas and the Jewish Single
Math Hints 1 -- Adding Fractions
Presidents1: George Washington
Passover: Holiday of Freedom
Ruth and Naomi
John and John Quincy Adams
Television Trivia Quiz
Tamar -- Mother of Kings
Jewish Perspective of G-d
Check out my other blogs:
Jewish Sandwich
Jewish Singles
Strong Jewish Women
Everything Goes
Bayit and Garden
Check out my other merchandise:
Other merchandise
My teen nieces were visiting me for the summer and they got me hooked on "Project Runway". I've really gotten hooked on it -- I supposed my years of being a closet designer (ok, not too closet -- I've shown my sketches to just about anyone who'll look at them)has contributed to my mania over the show. I know that I could never do what they do (well, at least not now) because sewing just isn't my thing (I'd like to get to know this better, but it's hard for me -- When I went to F.I.T., I tried to take "flat pattern design" (I think I still have the text for it) twice (I was so far behind after a few weeks, that I dropped the class both times) and I tried draping once (again, I fell so far behind that I knew I'd never pass the class). Maybe I should have stuck with it, I don't know.
When I was in High School, I learned how to knit (I already knew how to crochet since elementary school -- was it 5th grade???) and I started creating/designing clothing for my Barbie doll (It's about as much as I had patience for). I used to bring it to a concession store in a nearby town and sell them. I didn't exactly become rich selling the clothing, but I sold a few here and there.
I've spent the vast majority of my life trying to make a living doing things I like doing. I can design (as in draw designs either on paper or on the computer) but I can't make the clothing, shoes or purses. I can make some of the jewelry I design, but I can't afford the expense of doing more than one or two designs a year or so. I've also been doing graphic design for a number of years (20ish???).
A number of years ago, someone I knew introduced me to a woman who prints t-shirts who needed an artist to help with design, so I did some work for her. That led me to create a design, ostensibly for tees, of Strong Jewish Women (scenes from the lives of biblical women) -- I started with Miriam, added Devora (Deborah) and Queen Esther. I have since added Sara, Rivka (Rebecca), Rachael (Rachel), Yocheved (Moshe, Moses's, mother), Tzippora (Moshe's wife) ,Yael, Ruth and Naomi, Hana and Another Esther.
But I'm also working on the jewelry designs (you can see a couple of them and a couple of my doll clothing designs at my etsy shop and at my Shop-it site. Maybe that's my problem? I'm not focusing in on one thing? But I love all these things so much -- I enjoy creating and selling my artistic visions.
But when I see "Project Runway", I see myself in the rolls of the people who are there designing and making their own creations. Even the ones who end up "out" (as in going home) have a vision (even if I don't like their "stuff"). I find myself right now wondering who the last three will be and who will win. I have noticed one thing -- the people who listen to the judges and make changes based on their advice rather than constantly pushing their own agenda (though "trying to please the judges" without any vision also doesn't do it -- I knew the entire episode that Keith was "out" that he was going to end up gone because he was trying too hard to please the judges without being true to his own vision) are the ones who do the best (LeAnn -- I hope I spelled her name right -- learned very well from being in the bottom two in the second week and adjusted her work to showcase her vision without sacrificing style and advice she got from the judges -- she's won the most recent two challenges including this week's Diane Von Furstenberg challenge).
To all the designers who have left or are still on right now -- good luck in the future -- my heart is with you.
Check out my squidoo lenses (articles):
Strong Biblical Women
Strong Biblical Women 2
Why Be Vegetarian
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 1
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 2
Rosh Hashana
Quick Vegan Cooking
Creating new recipes from old
Strong Biblical Women Part 3
Hanuka
About the Jewish Calendar
Witches and Morality
Presidential Trivia Quiz
Christmas and the Jewish Single
Math Hints 1 -- Adding Fractions
Presidents1: George Washington
Passover: Holiday of Freedom
Ruth and Naomi
John and John Quincy Adams
Television Trivia Quiz
Tamar -- Mother of Kings
Jewish Perspective of G-d
Check out my other blogs:
Jewish Sandwich
Jewish Singles
Strong Jewish Women
Everything Goes
Bayit and Garden
Check out my other merchandise:
Other merchandise
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