Wednesday, August 22, 2007

NOTE: Way too dramatic of an entry

Yesterday was one of those days where you feel like you are sitting at the kitchen table with your mom, or in a guidance office, and a really well meaning woman is looking at you and saying, (read it with an Irish accent, it sounds more authentic)

"well, yes, yes, it was a terrible breakup, but its worth it because you learned something"

And than of course there you are, 16 (or late 20s) experiencing 'the worst' break up of your life, or something equally as destabilizing and you think to yourself,

LESSON? WORTH IT? What the hell are you talking about? I just want to die!

And than of course 6 months go by and you realize that all women with Irish accents are really the oracle at Delphi. Yes, I learned something, but what the hell is with the bother?

Okay, now that I have recorded that little dramatic monologue, perhaps yesterday wasn't really in accordance with that....but we'll see.

Here are two small 'lessons' that made yesterday WORTH it:

1. It is worth it that when one has been without hot water since arriving in a new city and is breaking new speed records in their hop in and out of freezing showers, to THAN have a really handsome young man and his grandpoppy of an assistant trudge up your stairs and fix everything, thereby affording your eco-friendly mind a guilt free opportunity to stand under the oh-so-hot water for upwards of 45 minutes. That's worth the cold water. That's a good lesson.

2. It is worth having the worst-all-time vegan food experience YET if one is with their friends while engaging in a heated battle with a dick of a waiter, and is than (again - guilt free) able to, in lieu of eating at an appropriate time, come home and gorge oneself on popcorn cooked up in some olive oil.

If you are dying to make some popcorn right now....do it! Is it breakfast time? Do It! Popcorn is a whole grainey bit of goodness, that one only makes a million times better by adding the heart healthy olive oil.

Here's momma Claud's tried and tested method for making the BEST popcorn. Even Keith, who is a "p-corn" connoisseur, could find no way to make this recipe any better.

Needs:

Popcorn Kernels
High Quality Olive (or safflower, sunflower, veg) Oil
A shitty old pot (medium to large in size - we are making big bowls here)
NOT Anne Daniel's glass top stove
Salt for garnish if you are feeling particularly naughty...and after spending a day moving around books and checking out my new gym...was I ever feeling naughty!

How Tos:

Coat the bottom of the 'shitty old' pot with oil and let her get nice and hot atop a glowing element of some sort (note: the gas kind...not so good).

When the oil is just at the point when you think it might smoke (remember you don't want olive oil to smoke), about 2 minutes, you add your kernels. Keith's advice was always to just coat the bottom. Good idea.

Cover with a tight lid, grab a tea towel or those funky mits and about every 30 seconds you want to give your pot a really good shake. Yeah....put on some Justin Timberlake (who, by the way, is Britt's favourite artist, and it is his "SexyBack" that she and her cat have designed a dance routine around, and it is called: The Shake) and shake the hell out of that popcorn. This little technique, ensures that your bowl will be free of those unpopped kernels. So much potential....such a disappointment.

Your popcorn should pop for about 45 - 55 seconds, and than you can feel free to take it off the element and throw it in a big fat bowl. If you dig hot sauce you might want to add some here...or soysauce. But, personally, I prefer my p-corn straight up with a dash of salt and a really long Allan Rickman movie.

On another veganny note: I found Quinoa milk! Yes...quinoa milk. Who would have imagined? Well, apparently the man who does the ordering for the health food shop by my school DOES imagine. It is delicious. It feels like I have poured a little bowl of tasty cereal into my chai tea (minus the lumpy bits of course). I am imagining it in cookies, cakes and other such goodies that would only welcome its warm and nutty taste. Will have to try it out and get back to you on that one!

NOTE: NEVER, EVER go to Le Petite Bruxelles off to the side of Grand Place. Leif was right: That street is a bit tourist trap full of more disappointment than all the unpopped kernels in the world.

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