tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250625892011-07-07T20:12:54.391-07:00graceful(grās'fəl): <i>showing grace of movement, form, or proportion</i> punk (puŋk): <i>a member of a rebellious counterculture group</i> GracefullyPunk: finding the beauty in moving against societal normsKirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.comBlogger2571100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-43353722603389833132010-02-11T11:09:00.003-08:002010-02-11T11:50:35.111-08:00

There's a song by Houston Calls that I've always identified with--and have used in previous posts. But this time it carries more weight."Please just go little girl", the city calls to herThis is your chance, this is your freedomFrom the last time that I posted about running off to Europe for a couple weeks, I've made some changes. I know a bit more about my itinerary, for one:2/14: Land in London

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-68356945483519672692010-01-31T08:03:00.002-08:002010-01-31T09:18:52.564-08:00

Once again I find myself watching the sky. Although it's 8am, the light is still wavy, and there's a tension between the lead grey skies on this side of the sound and the bleached out blue trying to emerge out above Bremerton. I'm watching the sky and thinking about how, two weeks from today, I'll be seeing the sky from 4700 miles away. 8 time zones. Something like 18 hours on a plane. But

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-23706661747123044332010-01-20T16:18:00.002-08:002010-01-20T16:37:45.863-08:00

As someone with a passionate interest in food, I get asked quite a bit what I think of the book/movie Julie and Julia. Leaving my personal feelings about Julie Powell aside (she's already been thoroughly trashed by many writers) I can see how the concept can be quite appealing: Find a project, a goal, completely unrelated to your daily life, and throw your heart and your fingers into it. Then you

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-40218154692513761492010-01-17T13:37:00.003-08:002010-01-17T13:52:45.332-08:00

some daysall I dois watchthe skyThis guilt feels so familiar and I'm home.

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-16670429445133422972010-01-16T17:25:00.003-08:002010-01-16T17:52:33.680-08:00

A few nights ago we hit up TASTE Restaurant at the Seattle Art Museum. Now, normally I am not a fan of restaurants attached to things...museums, hotels, stadia, etc. But I'd read an article on TASTE and knew that they focused on locally raised meats, locally grown produce, and sustainably caught fish. They cultivate relationships with farmers and regularly change their menu to reflect the season.

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-3437326202574953442010-01-13T20:39:00.002-08:002010-01-13T21:02:08.127-08:00

I've been thinking a lot about what we, as a society, have given up in the past fifty years. As a 28-year-old woman on her way to law school with a strong interest in sports, of course I am glad for the progression, in many people's minds, of what women can and can't do. Yet I can't help feeling that, in our pursuit to make women equal, we've lost some of the heart and soul of the household, and

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-42617515250164785742010-01-07T08:21:00.003-08:002010-01-07T08:31:25.508-08:00

Hello world. It's time to wake up. Probably past time to wake up. If you need help feeling energetic, or if you're seeking a way to not feel hungry before lunchtime, or if you're just feeling a craving for some tasty tasty waffles, I have found the solution:Whole Grain Waffles (from Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Food)1 cup whole wheat pastry flour1 cup whole grain flour, such as spelt, rye,

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-86271093753228089912010-01-06T14:40:00.003-08:002010-01-06T16:36:52.226-08:00

Oy with the poodles already.As many of you have likely deduced, the procedure on Monday went well, so well that less than an hour after emerging from anesthesia I was feasting on a Burgermaster grass-fed cheeseburger and a caramel chocolate shake. Virginia Mason's customer service and ability to make a patient feel comfortable and relaxed deserves applause here, especially after my experiences

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-52145466134810168962010-01-03T08:52:00.003-08:002010-01-03T09:01:29.423-08:00

This morning, I feast. On crescents and cinnamon rolls from tubes. Gotta say, these tasted much better five years ago, but the slightly sweet savory crescents aren't too bad. Enough fat and almost anything is tasty, right?I started this new year on a diet so completely off from my own that it has made me grumpy and sleepy and who knows what else. It's a low-fiber and non-dairy diet, hence the

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-7180908307933506852010-01-02T10:18:00.003-08:002010-01-02T19:20:53.147-08:00

Ugh, New Year and all these earnest resolutions. Aren't they just there to be broken? Yet at the same time, the flipping of the calendar (and the decade) does create a natural space for contemplation. Although 2009 was a marked improvement over 2008, there are still some areas to polish up. So here go my goals:GOAL: Finish first semester of law school in top quartile of class. Oh, I guess

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-70744472443227153372009-12-28T08:28:00.002-08:002009-12-28T08:45:22.305-08:00

It's been well over a month since I've posted. Where have I been? Trying to catch my breath. Stuck in an ugly cycle of sick leading to not caring for myself leading to exhaustion. Overwhelmed by applications and obligations. But now I'm ready to sit back for a few days. No work til the 5th. Plenty of time to reflect on these past ten years and dream about the next ten. Time to plan meals

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-10302969522171974772009-11-26T20:52:00.004-08:002009-11-26T21:22:10.894-08:00

I'm sitting here, over-stuffed, grumpy at the irritating people still left in the house, angry that my boyfriend mis-communicated the amount of time I'd be spending in this near-hell...and so I realized, it's time to make some thank yous. Everyone else seems to love this holiday, whereas I've never had any sort of affection of it. But still, even as there's still a hole in my heart that's

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-69717468647899052242009-11-24T12:51:00.004-08:002010-01-06T16:40:36.781-08:00

If I hear the phrase "Lean Cuisine" one more time, I just might scream. Lean Cuisine, those little meals for one that are about 250 calories, zero fat, and absolutely unhealthy--yet stashed in the freezer because they are cheap and easy.Well, friends, let me tell you about cheap and easy.Harissa Pasta (once again, loosely adapted from 101cookbooks) 8 oz thin whole-wheat pastaHarissa paste or

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-76865748791742319452009-11-22T14:49:00.002-08:002009-11-22T15:09:50.591-08:00

Gyms, in addition to making me sore, are a sore subject for me. I don't like the fact that we have a place to go and exercise--the fact that exercise is separate from the rest of our lives. However, until I have my backyard farm and have to haul dirt and taking walks to visit neighbors, I need to do something to keep muscles from atrophying. Of course, every time I'm scheduled to go to the gym

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-38761372005491160172009-11-19T16:43:00.003-08:002009-11-20T14:52:53.215-08:00

Mornings are chilly these days. Breakfasts have been large recently, as we've learned that hearty morning meals make us much less hungry throughout the day. They typically involve some freshly baked bread and either sausage or bacon. But today, with sickie being sickie and me refusing to purchase meat from, you know, a grocery store, we had to find our protein another way.A couple weeks ago I

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-68893797940583833342009-11-17T10:52:00.004-08:002009-11-19T16:11:38.487-08:00

Considering GYM has been holed up in bed with a respiratory infection, I felt a bit freer in the kitchen this week. Tuesdays are gym (as in the workout, not the boyfriend) days, so I also wanted something quick, and once again it was raining, so I wanted something comforting and hearty. I regularly read The Pioneer Woman, through both her tweets and her blog, and it just so happened that she

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-23850716507942398762009-11-14T19:04:00.001-08:002009-11-15T19:17:57.161-08:00

I know that many people argue the amazingness that is canned cranberry sauce. Honestly, I don't get it--it is slimy and slippery and overly sweet. However, many will not give up their cans, and so each Thanksgiving there it sits on many American tables, still proudly wearing the stripes from its can.These cans, as well as "cranberry juice", have caused Americans to forget what a cranberry

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-22079835061813828342009-11-11T18:36:00.003-08:002009-11-15T18:48:59.168-08:00

Winter is settling in up here in Seattle. The chill is starting to creep into my bones. I realize I've been away for a few years, but I don't recall it being quite so blustery. The wind slides through the buildings downtown and slips right through coats. In short, it's time for warm and hearty comfort meals.Chili has never been a comfort food of mine. It was something I hated as a child.

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-68186042628751425522009-11-07T06:47:00.002-08:002009-11-07T10:07:57.954-08:00

It's Saturday, and I've already been up for nearly an hour. I woke up in the middle of the night, gasping from a bad dream. When I later awoke at six, I was too nervous and full of anticipation to get back to the sleeping. And why? All for the love of a game.I grew up in a sporting household. My dad is a crazy baseball fan, counting the days until pitchers and catchers report and often

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-8442219452255199202009-11-05T19:56:00.002-08:002009-11-05T20:14:40.559-08:00

Today was supposed to be a gym day. However, due to the late fall storm roaring around the edges of the Sound, traffic was horrific and by the time I got home, rain was slanting sideways. I wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed and drink hot cocoa. But considering we hadn't had a homecooked meal in a few days, what with my head being about to explode out my ears, I gave myself a five

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-4180990037546992022009-11-02T13:06:00.004-08:002009-11-02T13:40:18.621-08:00

As you might have noticed, there have not been many posts around here recently (nor have there been many cookies). As much as I've been wanting to write, and wanting to cook, and wanting to be healthy, I've once again been bogged down by health issues.But I think I may have found what has been causing the fatigue, the nausea, the bloating, the general unease: The pill that was prescribed to help

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-50402901911882684152009-11-01T09:19:00.003-08:002009-11-01T09:31:32.935-08:00

Now that October is gone, it's time for me to start loosening my grip on pumpkin beers. I've tried about eight this season, and absolutely loved a few, but it's time to start transitioning to winter ales. Even though winter ales began appearing on the shelves at the beginning of October. Don't get me started. It's like Christmas decorations hitting the shelves the day after Halloween. Which,

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-80708340837806878852009-10-29T11:38:00.008-07:002009-10-29T12:14:26.373-07:00

Beer tasting. It's a new hobby for me, but one that has quickly spurred intense opinions, desire to spread information, and even vacations centered around beer tastings. Beer gets a bad rap. When people say that they are off on a trip to Napa for tours of wineries, or spending a Saturday going wine tasting, most people don't bat an eye. But if you say you're going to a bar for a night of beer

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-9848368730274403452009-10-21T14:34:00.002-07:002009-10-21T16:08:12.447-07:00

Today is National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day. I confess, I feel a bit guilty about not telling you earlier, because it is unlikely you will be able to enjoy this pie on this, the day of celebration. Cheesecake does take time to chill, you know. But just do what I did--make it tonight and enjoy for breakfast tomorrow. Ingredients taken almost directly from Joy of Baking. Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe:

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-38810904903639433892009-10-07T20:22:00.002-07:002009-10-07T20:30:19.425-07:00

I feel guilty. For not updating a blog, for not sending cookies, for not writing my personal statement. I feel guilty for the fact that I haven't worked out and for the fact that I ate boxed mac and cheese for dinner tonight. I feel guilty that I feel guilty.I push. I push and I push and I push myself and then I wonder why I can't do it all, and I remember...apparently I have a body that is

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-13046009365799015982009-09-06T11:41:00.002-07:002009-09-06T11:49:29.605-07:00

So the more I thought about the cookies that I wanted to create, the more I realized that I wasn't just looking for a sugar replacement--after all, there's no way I'm using Splenda or whatever those new types of "natural sweetners" are. Instead, I'm seeking a cookie that's not built primarily on white flour and white sugar. So the cookies I'll be sending out are ones where the flavoring comes

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-34717219653004535472009-09-04T08:47:00.003-07:002009-09-04T09:41:03.311-07:00

I swore to my uncle that if we planted ten crates of tomatoes, I would use every single one of those buggers. Fresh sauce for pasta and pizza. Tomato salad with feta cheese. Tomato soup, frozen for winter tomato fixes. And, of course, salsa.I hate, despise, abhor chunky salsa. Mostly because it has flecks of raw onion, which still send unpleasant shivers down my spine. So I sought out

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-62071726132053497402009-09-03T20:55:00.004-07:002009-09-03T21:25:17.286-07:00

Quinoa. More and more people are picking up on this wonder grain. It's native to the Andean regions of South America (Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia) but its deliciousness is being discovered in the United States.Now, I need to get a confession out of the way here. I hate couscous. Hate it. I've tried so hard, but it always seems to produce a metallic taste in whatever it is that I'm cooking.

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-26226121524523652742009-08-27T10:41:00.002-07:002009-09-05T11:31:44.606-07:00

Alice Waters is one of my heroes. That should be no surprise to anyone who knows about food--she more or less started the movement that brought fresh and local foods into restaurants. She is an avid promoter of farmers markets, and she started the Edible Schoolyard program, in which elementary schools plant gardens, and the students are able to learn both how grow and how to prepare the

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-11002676808187458242009-08-26T17:37:00.003-07:002009-08-27T17:47:51.036-07:00

I love autumn.I've never been much of a summer girl. I don't like the heat, I don't like bright, I don't like to be hot, I don't like tiny little clothes. I don't even like summer foods.And today, as the thermometer once again inches up towards 90 degrees, I find myself dreaming of fall.I'm ready for it. I want scarves, and boots, and cute little jackets. I want to stroll through leaves while

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-49706323728255792502009-08-25T19:16:00.002-07:002009-08-25T19:40:40.370-07:00

Sometimes a girl gets tempted.Sometimes she's on the straight and narrow, headed to the Redmond Whole Foods to pick up some free-range chicken to make a delicious curry, when suddenly traffic backs up and she ends up taking an early exit off the freeway.And sometimes a girl gets a bit turned around, as this girl is wont to do on the Eastside where none of the streets appear to go the correct

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-65874641672790092652009-08-19T14:14:00.003-07:002009-08-21T16:18:19.455-07:00

Oh my! People want their cookies! I have 22 households ready to be guinea pigs. This weekend I plan to start modifying recipes...but you might have to be a bit patient about when you're actually getting these cookies. I plan to send them out the Tuesday after Labor Day, which gives me a solid weekend to work on the recipes and get them wrapped and labeled and such. HOWEVER. I need your

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-2278113954057116422009-08-17T15:36:00.002-07:002009-08-17T16:03:41.373-07:00

Bonjour, mon petit fleurs. I am eating a cookie. Gasp. I know, I know. At least it doesn't have HFCS in it--I checked. But it is still ridiculously sweet, overwhelmingly sweet, capable of sending the heart a-racing sweet. Yet I ate it. Why? Because I just can't kick this sweet-tooth habit. And because a sausage and a small scoop of couscous is apparently not satisfying. So, my little

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-25434510684841559402009-08-16T10:44:00.003-07:002009-08-16T10:51:56.881-07:00

Honestly, the blogger format drives me nuts. With typical layouts, I just can't make the page pretty enough. But by importing a layout from another page, I can't get the blogger features to work--I can't make a list of blogs I follow, for example, and I can't get widgets to display properly.And I can never make photos look good. Attention, creators of Blogger: having a photo add feature that

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-25113510350996008422009-08-15T09:46:00.005-07:002009-08-25T11:25:35.036-07:00

GYM is a lucky guy. He has an avid baker for a girlfriend. However, he wanted Smitten Kitchen's Espresso Chiffon Cake with Fudge Frosting. And I had never made a layer cake before. Here's how it went down:Espresso Chiffon CakeAdapted from Smitten Kitchen.Coffee. Chocolate. Rum. Deliciousness. Despite how it might sound, this cake is not overly sweet. The chocolate is unsweetened and the

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-61203412412801676302009-08-14T19:05:00.002-07:002009-08-16T17:09:14.692-07:00

People have asked me if my experiment--my focus on eating non-processed foods, sourced as locally as possible, while paying special attention to the way my meat was raised--has prevented me from eating outside the home.I love going out to eat. I enjoy lingering over food, drink, and conversation. And I love being inspired by the menus at restaurants, their inspired pairings of ingredients,

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-4109565199349251742009-08-11T14:36:00.002-07:002009-08-13T14:54:38.146-07:00

A couple weekends ago, while down in Eugene, my mom and I went to one of my favorite Eugene places, Cafe Yumm. While Yumm is normally on my list for places I must visit while in town, it just didn't quite hit the spot this time. Something seemed almost (gasp!) processed about it. The cheese tasted like they'd sprinkled it from a plastic bag of cheese shreds. The tomatoes had no flavor

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-91284357023813935812009-08-09T13:48:00.002-07:002009-08-10T15:45:20.425-07:00

Whenever I’m short on time and running quickly through the grocery store, I always swing by the bread aisle. I swear that in another life I was French, or my French genes just outweigh everything except my imaginary Mexican ones, because I could live off bread, chocolate, butter and cheese. Not wine though. I need my beer. Anyway. Back to bread. Each time I peruse the bread aisle, I am

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-49254376300259746062009-08-07T14:42:00.004-07:002009-08-07T15:21:52.840-07:00

Some have wondered--what exactly do you mean, traditional foods? Some have asked, what's the point, where are you going with this?Well, with all the hustle and bustle surrounding food these days, it seems that sometimes it's difficult to come up with the best choices. It's almost as though everyone's read Michael Pollan, and everyone's seen Food Inc., and for heaven's sake every second

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-45099184075285508942009-08-04T10:58:00.003-07:002009-08-04T12:00:55.342-07:00

After a conversation with my Grandma this weekend, I've decided to once again attempt a half-marathon.This is not as scary as it sounds, as I'll be walking, not running. It appears I have a personality conflict with running. I last approximately sixty seconds before keeling over and begging for mercy. Is it my general fitness level, or just the fact that my lungs do not take well to running?

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-53015111123543833862009-08-01T22:21:00.002-07:002009-08-01T22:32:41.326-07:00

One of the hardest things about moving into eating whole foods--whole foods that you've cooked yourself, and preferably in season and raised in a sustainable manner--is that you have to plan ahead. At least, you have to plan if you are in your twenties with an active social life and the tendency to jump back and forth across a large lake, using two refrigerators and pantries.This week, I have a

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-190563812655595722009-07-30T16:33:00.003-07:002009-08-01T17:59:39.806-07:00

No, not the place of torture, but rather my boyfriend and companion in this little adventure. Why I'm using his initials, I really don't know, as he doesn't hide behind nicknames anywhere else. Just accept it. He's the one on the right:Gym just read The Omnivores Dilemma, and he finally gets it--at least, to an extent. Which means I probably haven't been good at explaining my "food thing", but

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-4100873239946304122009-07-28T08:47:00.003-07:002009-07-28T11:04:32.395-07:00

If I’m going to do this, I’m going to do it right. While I don’t see this blog as being a confessional, I do think that I might as well be honest, and let people know my reasons for this experiment. For the entirety of my remembered life, I’ve struggled with my weight. The eating environment in which I grew up did nothing to help my health. With two working parents (one who was not only

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-17096395123401776372009-07-26T22:45:00.002-07:002009-07-26T22:48:35.922-07:00

For years I’ve had this blog, and for years the posting has been sporadic. The problem has been a lack of focus. I’ve talked plenty about food, and plenty about sustainability, and some about nutrition and some about dieting and some about love. But I’ve never put it all together in any sort of systemic way, with any sort of purpose in mind. Well, I’ve finally found a purpose. For the past

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-50922174251486574592009-07-15T20:34:00.004-07:002009-07-15T21:06:48.034-07:00

Is it summer that keeps us from posting? I've noticed that none of my frequently read blogs have been updated in the past few weeks. Understandable, I guess. Summer is filled with sporting events and beach trips and weddings and time spent watching the sunset. My summer involves fresh beans overtaking the deck. Watching the tomatoes ripen. Buying raw milk. Waiting for the blackberries.

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-72351900084903370102009-05-25T00:03:00.002-07:002009-05-25T00:21:22.805-07:00

Another year begins. This one much closer to my thirties than before, a scary number, one that says grown up and houses and families and children and settled and grounded and grown up. And what have we learned from this, another year in the life of being gracefullypunk? I feel that, most of all, the year of 27 has been one of me learning that roots are not necessarily bad. After all, cut off

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-32488459897466673042009-05-21T21:45:00.002-07:002009-05-24T17:20:17.876-07:00

Trade-offs. I'm not good at them.I want what I want, when I want it. I don't like to wait; I don't like to compromise. And I simply do not want to give up one option for another.Turns out that this sort of mindset can get me into trouble. Boys, for instance. They kinda want you to choose just one of them. But that is easy compared to the dilemma of choosing between, say, french fries or a

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-51481451419749761052009-05-10T20:01:00.003-07:002009-05-10T20:13:08.803-07:00

Beer. It's a fairly new thing for me. Sure, I've always liked beer, and thought myself to be a bit of a beer snob, but now it's rapidly becoming a passion, something nearly equal to my obsession with food.Now, when I say I've been hitting up Seattle Beer Week, I don't mean that I'm heading out to the bars with the sole purpose of getting drunk. While becoming a little tipsy might be a

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-60293326367290857662009-05-06T21:04:00.004-07:002009-05-06T22:12:58.323-07:00

I don't always have vegetables in the house. Gasp.I know, it's a shocker. But I hate having them go bad. So sometimes they're just not there. Better than them dying a painful death, right? But when I want a quick meal, I don't want it to resort to a bowl of plain carbs, even if they are delicious, or even to topping them with tomato sauce. What I do always have in the fridge is an apple.

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-45578968590845334592009-05-05T21:44:00.000-07:002009-05-06T22:07:18.317-07:00

Nutmeg! I'd never been a fan of its powdered form, believing it overpowering and useful only in fall-based dishes, a la pumpkin pie. But then I splurged a hard earned six dollars on a nutmeg grinder, and trust me, it is a worthy splurge. Rather than overpowering the dish, it just adds a background of warmth.Nutmeg is a spice native to Indonesia, and one of the spices along the famous Silk Road

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-33300227250750865822009-05-03T21:22:00.000-07:002009-05-06T21:40:33.912-07:00

On Saturday, after power H&M accessory shopping with my mom (we sent dad off to comparison price digital cameras so that one day my blog might be pretty), the parents dropped me off at GYM's place in downtown Seattle. Usually on the weekends, I'm about the doing, the going, the creating of food or shopping for food or at the very least planning what foods I must shop for in order to create

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-68971273381494641652009-04-20T19:25:00.002-07:002009-04-20T20:44:06.946-07:00

Some things in life are unforgettableI haven't been keeping up with this blog recently. The busy-ness of having an office job combined with tutoring, editing, and baseball has taken a bit of a toll. But here I am, sitting in front of a chapter on the IPE of food, and I can't concentrate. My mind keeps drifting, and it keeps returning to a heavy subject: the nature of love.If this isn't love,

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-16059655757401283802009-04-19T10:49:00.003-07:002009-04-23T11:10:15.510-07:00

I'm mostly posting this for Dad, because somehow his split pea soup didn't turn out just right. Mine was fantastic. I also made a loaf of Nigella's potato-water bread to go along with it. If anyone saved their Easter ham bone, this is the perfect recipe for its use.Split Pea Soup in the Crock PotModified from Southern Food on About.com1 (16 oz.) package of dried green split peas, rinsed1 meaty

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-14833785809344083532009-03-30T12:33:00.002-07:002009-03-31T12:54:22.803-07:00

I made this chili a few weeks ago. Since it's modified from my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, I thought nothing of adding a little extra chili powder. That is, until I took a few bites and found my sinuses instantly cleared. But, since I try my best not to waste food, I packed it up and dragged it across the lake to CarrMat (this name is derived from the mail slips which tell him he has a

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-8216130687620440122009-03-26T20:10:00.002-07:002009-03-31T08:39:00.093-07:00

After months of stress, of agony, of muttering nasty comments under my breath about jobs that require experience but never allow anyone the opportunity to gain that experience, it finally happened: the call saying a law firm would like to hire me, pending a reference check. Well, it's obvious that my references are going to check out; however, I'm once again playing a waiting game as busy people

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-65843027421254730222009-03-20T14:22:00.002-07:002009-03-20T14:46:36.461-07:00

Well, my dearies, turns out that my unemployment may be something of a bonus for y'all, as it allows me time for fun experiments. Experiments that include finding the best basic bread recipe.And then passing it on to you!First I tried Nigella's basic white loaf. It's possible I overkneaded, or did something strange, because this bread was way too dense--and I like a chewy bread. Then I made

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-23906957702276363632009-03-17T08:58:00.002-07:002009-03-17T09:09:38.615-07:00

It's days like today when I feel like Jen Lancaster. I'm frustrated at employers who won't hire me because I am "overqualified." I'm terrified at the future and how I'll manage to survive. It's hard to drag myself out of bed, sometimes, because what is there except a dwindling list of postings on Craigslist to check? And oh god, I can sympathize with her weight gain because stress, boredom,

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-63468882077900038952009-03-09T09:47:00.002-07:002009-03-09T10:04:41.979-07:00

Don't get me wrong. There are some positives to being unemployed. Like not having to wake up early when adjusting to Daylight Savings Time. Being able to sit and watch the snowflakes fall rather than try to manuever through the streets. And the ability to make Vanilla Brown Sugar Breakfast Polenta to stay warm on such occasions. I took the Breakfast Polenta recipe right off the adorable Joy

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-62067474207715262572009-03-05T11:02:00.004-08:002009-03-05T11:37:39.255-08:00

I don't post much with song titles or lyrics anymore. I consider it getting myself past childish notions, I suppose, or romantic ideals. But today these lyrics are constant. So I thought I'd share.Sway your head move your feet wake yourself from the sleepIf there's a day there's a way you can get yourself thereGolden smile you've got style that they can't take awayScream and shout get it out

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-79376427192297837402009-03-04T15:38:00.003-08:002009-03-04T15:50:19.259-08:00

Each day that passes feels like one more stab of a tiny needle. Like one of those ancient torture methods in which criminals were put to death with small nicks of the sword rather than one swift wrench to the heart. It's another day, another rejection, but today it wasn't just any rejection--it's the rejection of none other than my alma mater. That's right. I am not good enough to work at the

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-32075337343861208122009-02-25T13:44:00.002-08:002009-02-25T14:01:00.922-08:00

Ash Wednesday.Dust, and to dust you shall return.A day of spurting rain here in Seattle.And me, with my head filled with worry, a stomach churning, worrying, worrying about how I will make it through a time of unemployment.But now is the perfect time, to sit and wait, to trust that the sun and the son come once again, to endure the dark and cold.Still, it's not just a time to sit back and wait.

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-69724826260474651662009-02-11T18:41:00.003-08:002009-02-11T19:03:06.543-08:00

For dinner on Tuesday, when GYM came over to meet Gabby, I wanted something that would use up the pork shoulder that Uncle took out of the freezer and then didn't have time to cook as we instead decided to buy a dog. Naturally, my first thought was pulled pork, knowing that GYM loves sammies and loves BBQ. A google search brought me, not to a southern cooking site or to food network, but rather

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-9252017959283327452009-02-10T17:47:00.009-08:002009-02-11T18:07:39.445-08:00

On Monday, when I had yet another snow day, Uncle and I took a trip down to Renton...and returned with Gabrielle. I have never considered myself a dog person. Granted, the only dog I'd had growing up enjoyed biting me and gnawing on my swing set, but still, I had no inclination to rush up to dogs on the street and pet them or coo over them. But this little bugger has won over my heart.And I'm

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-38974713541027223442009-02-07T17:41:00.002-08:002009-02-07T18:41:03.652-08:00

There's been so much on my mind recently. Job worries. Economic worries. Struggling with how a new relationship is supposed to look and feel. It's often in the kitchen where my mind needs to shut off and rest a moment, where I need to concentrate solely on the task I've set in front of myself. Now, these scones are nothing new. In fact, I've made them so often that I feel as though they're

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-25611504051943122302009-02-05T13:20:00.002-08:002009-02-07T13:32:40.403-08:00

I've realized recently that I've been posting a lot of fancy-dancy, prep-intensive meals, when really I've been needing some basics that I can just throw together in about thirty minutes. This, my friends, is definitely one of them, and it's delicious to boot.Pasta with Broccoli and Sausagefrom How to Pick a Peach by Russ Parsons, with minor adaptations2 tbsp olive oil4 hot Italian sausages (you

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-13687098163425153112009-02-03T18:30:00.001-08:002009-02-04T18:41:07.056-08:00

I don't know how to pronounce the name of this dish. I call it 'mushroom pasta' for simplicity and for convincing GYM that it would be an acceptable non-meat meal, but mushroom pasta does not begin to describe this rich, near-as-meat-as-no-meat-gets stewish sauce. This is one time that I'm not going to give you the recipe, but rather send you over to Smitten Kitchen so that you can not only see

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-72818876117087179152009-02-03T10:09:00.002-08:002009-02-03T10:36:50.294-08:00

Valentine's Day is coming up. Chocolate is part of the trifecta of gifts that men often buy their significant other when they just can't think of something more inspired. So where to get your chocolate in Seattle? I would actually recommend being a bit creative, and rather than buying a box of chocolates, taking your sweetie out for some of the best hot chocolate in town. There are two

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-86635177232939050882009-01-31T12:51:00.002-08:002009-01-31T13:50:20.743-08:00

On Wednesday, I took a trip up to Beacon Hill for a job interview. Alas, I did not get the job, but while still high on the possibility and dying for a lunchtime bite, I noticed a clapboard advertising pupusas across the road (as best as I can remember, this is near 14th and Beacon, inside an interesting groceries that seems to cater to both the Mesoamerican and Chinese communities). A pupusa,

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-73972263323759468812009-01-27T12:17:00.000-08:002009-01-31T12:51:09.594-08:00

Last week, GYM and I ended up, once again, at Pike Place Brewing, a pub just a block and a half away which serves better-than-decent fare and attempts to use fresh and local products. Of course, GYM usually goes for a burger, but I get so tired of pub grub that I decided on the Veggie Sandwich--good in its own right, but what really caught my eye was its side accompaniment of a curried couscous

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-31340889303082071412009-01-20T17:44:00.003-08:002009-01-23T19:33:21.860-08:00

Well...this didn't post three days ago...My friend Amanda visited last weekend, which meant caffination, ferry rides, hockey and time sampling the wonders of Pike Place Market. Because she arrived at 4pm, when I'd already been awake for twelve hours, our first stop was Ladro, a Seattle coffee shop featuring fair trade beans and one of the best coffee drinks I've ever tasted. I can't remember

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-3154994250680647462009-01-16T11:41:00.006-08:002009-01-16T12:31:12.502-08:00

It's cold outside. There aren't many fresh veggies about. I'm exhausted from that three hours of commuting I do each day. I needed a hearty meal that I could easily transport to work to avoid paying $6 for lunch each day. What could be better than a black bean soup, so think it is nearly a stew?But this is not just any soup--it's one I created myself. Yes, yes, I'm aware that it's easy to

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-72890061218615519362009-01-12T18:01:00.003-08:002009-01-12T18:32:22.760-08:00

One of my biggest struggles seems to be thinking of things to create when I'm tired, or thinking up ingredients I need while at the market or grocery. So I thought I'd go through Basic Cooking: All You Need to Cook Well Quickly and make a list of the basics I'd like to master.Noodley Things:Spaghetti ala BologneseNasi Goreng (Indonesian fried rice)GnocchiPizzaSaucesWinter PestoCarrot-Ginger

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-79888465393789110202009-01-12T17:36:00.002-08:002009-01-12T17:58:30.986-08:00

At this point, what with the running around all over Seattle, the lack of access to fresh foods and a brain freeze on what to cook, I'm resorting to basics, such as my tasty-spicy Peanut Sauce:(Barely adapted from Basic Cooking by Jennifer Newens)2 tbsp veg oil (I'd use canola, peanut, or sesame, but alas I have none right now)2 tbsp red curry paste1 can light coconut milk (~14 oz)2/3 cup crunchy

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-57980512798327962252009-01-10T12:34:00.002-08:002009-01-10T12:49:43.142-08:00

Jeff and Ms Jeff are visiting from San Diego. Supposedly they're here for the baseball meetup this afternoon, but really, it seems they're here for the beer. Last night we hit up The Stumbling Monk, where I had a Duchesse de Bourgogne, which now that I think about it was the only beer I had. I also sampled multiple other beers, of which my favorite was the Cascade Strong Sour. The point is,

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-77225007573554104022009-01-07T20:22:00.003-08:002009-01-07T20:48:28.633-08:00

Yesterday, I set off on a mission. Buy vegetables, then console my battered self-esteem as well as my strangely blotchy complextion like every woman does--with a trip to Sephora. Unfortunately, about 2 hours, around $100 and very few local vegetables later, I boarded a late bus and found myself stuck in traffic, finally arriving home at about 6:45. When one hasn't eaten since 11am, well, one

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-74061753235791729862009-01-05T19:43:00.002-08:002009-01-05T20:22:33.172-08:00

There comes a time in almost every woman's life when she looks in the mirror and nearly breaks down in tears. It's the time that she finally realizes that something is no longer working, that an eating pattern changed or a habit faded away and somehow, those few temporary pounds are simply not disappearing.As a foodie, this moment is extremely hard to face. I've always been a proponent of

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-80760488476875929992009-01-04T11:36:00.002-08:002009-01-04T12:05:39.773-08:00

Happy New Year! Where were we? Er, I guess that would be "I", since the last few posts have been fairly self-centered, but I'm hoping that changes with the advent of my blog revamping.3. The Year of No Drama.I don't know if it's my naturally inclined streak of actressness or my tendency, when I was younger, to surround myself with dramatic individuals--or perhaps it's all the chick-lit I read-

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-3570716297976816022008-12-29T19:43:00.003-08:002008-12-29T20:04:49.294-08:00

The 2009: Year of Movement has already begun, and I only hope I don't tire out before the calendar actually turns. Due to my adversion to bus transfers, I will be walking approximately three miles each day. It appears that I have lost my sheet of paper where I wrote my "9 for 2009", and so I've revised a bit, starting, appropriately enough, with number six.6. Year of Organization. During the

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-91773527734400916412008-12-26T22:07:00.003-08:002008-12-26T22:43:42.888-08:00

I have never been one for New Years' Resolutions. They just don't stick, do they? But I've realized that I'm also not one for planning ahead, or thinking about the future. I've spent my life being random, and spontaneous, and thinking about today as though tomorrow would never come along. Well, now tomorrow has caught up to me, and I have no plans as to how to face it. So I thought I'd start

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-74530019719877359062008-12-22T17:42:00.003-08:002008-12-22T18:24:11.096-08:00

Here I am.Here I stand, I can do no other.I am enough, just as I am.All anyone wants from me is that I am.Just be.This is not enough.Here I am in Seattle. There were a plethora of reasons to move here, from the emotional--seeing Puget Sound for the first time in months nearly made me cry--to the practical--this city actually functions on a day-to-day basis--but for the most part the reasons can

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-56260288301893791842008-12-21T14:04:00.005-08:002008-12-21T14:23:36.743-08:00

The snow moved in at about 3:15pm yesterday afternoon. We'd made plans to meet up with friends for happy hour onion rings at 4:30pm...on Capitol Hill. Not being a natural snow baby--Central California and the mild temps of the Willamette Valley mean encounters of only a few inches every few years--and having nothing even resembling boots in the Big Gay Refugee Center (if you have to ask, you

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-90718874893890098582008-12-20T16:44:00.002-08:002008-12-20T16:53:29.287-08:00

This was Seattle two days ago. A nice, peaceful blanket of snow. Now, however, we are apparently in the middle of SNOWMAGEDDON, although from what I can see the snow has already stopped. I'm huddled up on the twenty-third floor, and while we can still see the piers the rest of Puget Sound has been hidden for an hour. Traffic continues to flow down 99, but I'm assuming that will come to a

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-30766162166096940872008-11-04T21:57:00.002-08:002008-11-04T22:45:20.399-08:00

I have never been prouder to be a citizen of the United States.I can't remember the last time I said I was proud to be of this country.But tonight I am proud. I am able to stand up and say yes, this is my home, and I am proud of its leaders and proud of its citizens.I spent the evening with friends both present and not. While chatting with those near I was facebooking, messaging and texting

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-74105847927756941442008-11-04T07:24:00.003-08:002008-11-04T07:45:25.147-08:00

I voted.Sort of.I hope.This being Louisiana, having registered well more than a month before the election, they were still unable to put my name on the list of registered voters. However, I waved around my registration card (unofficial, it's a postcard telling me a registration card will be coming)and noted all the signs saying that I needed only that and a picture ID--or, without that, just to

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-67445479781942458812008-10-31T12:30:00.004-07:002008-10-31T16:38:46.657-07:00

I own a shirt that reads, "I found my heart in New Orleans."In a city in which I have experienced such turmoil, such frustration, such fragility,I truly found my heart. Here, amidst the brokenness of both a city and of myself, I have re-discovered love. I have discovered love, and passion, as it relates to one of the essentials of life: food. I know now that almost nothing makes me happier than

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-64543490764712615492008-10-26T07:01:00.002-07:002008-10-26T07:18:17.367-07:00

It's been eight days without coffee, and the withdrawl symptoms are finally easing up. I honestly had no idea how difficult it would be. I more or less needed to isolate myself for a few days as to not inflict others with my horrible mood.It's a long road back from hell...I realize endometriosis is not the worst disease one could have. It's not a killer. It doesn't require chemotherapy. Yet

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-45045320780163589622008-10-20T07:47:00.003-07:002008-10-20T08:57:46.942-07:00

Yesterday, after a rousing football match at Audubon park, I headed over to Whole Foods to complete my weekly grocery run. I already had plans to make a quiche, and tomato sauce with pepper and mushroom. However, I wanted to make a pot of split pea daal as an easy lunch option. The recipe is a simple split pea with curry, but I like to add carrots. Imagine my surprise when I scanned the

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-53810201284829326492008-10-18T04:13:00.003-07:002008-10-18T04:30:19.821-07:00

And so today truly begins the experiment. Today there will be no caffeine. For the last three days I've had but one cup of coffee in the morning. Finally by yesterday afternoon I thought I was ok--I did not have a giant haze around my head. Yet I fell asleep at 9pm. Of course, this meant I am up at 5:30am, and what is there to do at that hour if you can't see through the fog surrounding your

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-23526952791004282962008-10-15T14:37:00.002-07:002008-10-15T14:59:31.153-07:00

Today.October 15th, 2008.Began an experiment I never imagined would happen in the gracefullypunk world.For today I began the process of weaning myself off caffeine.Recently the pain has returned, sharp pains in my lower right abdomen as well as searing pains throughout the midsection. At first I buried my head--all treatments are not over, so perhaps I just need to wait another month? But then

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-81900317322345526512008-09-30T21:15:00.002-07:002008-09-30T21:47:38.992-07:00

There is no sense and no sanity in objecting to the desecration of the flag while tolerating and justifying and encouraging as a daily business the desecration of the country for which it stands ..."Waste," Wendell Berry, 1989We've just a little over a month until the election--an election that is, arguably, one of the most pivotal this nation has faced.The quote above is included in an

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-39836919034386685472008-09-27T12:52:00.004-07:002008-09-27T18:30:55.823-07:00

The more I cook, the more I am able to realize what it is I need to stock my kitchen. While Rachael Ray published a cookbook which included a tear-out list of how to stock a pantry, I contend that it's best to find your method of cooking and base your grocery runs around that. After all, I've had a jar of artichoke hearts sitting on the shelf through two moves now.So what to I make sure is

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-57540107976510624442008-09-26T21:45:00.003-07:002008-09-26T22:28:10.583-07:00

I am, right now, absolutely knackered. It's been a rough week. I know sometimes I take on way too much, and then get frustrated when I can't execute everything flawlessly. Work's been stressful, some friendships have been tense, the house is a disaster, I have tons of co-op stuff and I had an exam this week. I forget sometimes how much emotions can weigh me down. But at the same time, there's

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-5877989696760900642008-09-21T18:51:00.002-07:002008-09-21T18:55:36.674-07:00

As I searched through my memory bank of song lyrics (read: my twenty-six page and growing compilation) it occurred to me how many fit with my thoughts about the state of this nation...and my thoughts to those who might be apathetic.We have 43 days left until 11/04/08.Hey now, the past is told by those who win, my darlingWhat matters is what hasn't beenHey now, we're wide-awake and we're

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-90628290386645698542008-09-14T21:00:00.008-07:002008-09-14T21:38:40.606-07:00

(How is it that Blogger can make multiple changes to its layout, setup, design, etc., but still can't manage to give us a decent way to post photos?)I didn't leave the house much this weekend. It's been an emotional past few weeks, and I had quite a few thoughts to wrestle. But I also didn't really feel like going into this world they call "out." So I stayed home and cleared out the cupboards.

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-50270181435205249872008-09-13T13:51:00.003-07:002008-09-13T15:11:24.819-07:00

So August has come and gone and we're nearly halfway through September. August. I waited for it. I wanted for it. I counted down the days as July inched its way onward. And then August broke me apart. In many ways. I was broken by a loss of hope and by a loss in my confidence to believe in my intuition. The hopeless romantic in me had to face reality, and that reality hurt. But more than

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-83509258364076845512008-09-07T22:37:00.005-07:002008-09-07T22:58:55.454-07:00

Hello again faithful readers...just a quick note to let you know that I am apparently applying for permanent refugee status.The advice of the weathermens, the random friends, the airport peoples, it all comes together and then reaches me in the form of my parents saying no, no no, why don't you just stay here? So I'm staying a couple extra days to keep an eye on Ike. It seems that it might not

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-50281133960619630402008-08-31T12:20:00.003-07:002008-08-31T12:51:58.944-07:00

So here I am in Seattle. And I'm conflicted.I want to be here in Seattle. But I didn't want to be here this way. This hasty way, of more or less running away, of fleeing a city and not really realizing what it all meant. I walk through my neighborhood and I think of all that I love and didn't realize that I missed: the smell of the evergreens, the ability to walk through parks, the excellent

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-5702543172190136972008-08-28T21:23:00.004-07:002008-08-28T21:36:16.799-07:00

I had a perfectly lovely post planned out in my head. And now I can't find the words. I've tried to express today what it is like to be here, and how hard it is to now be one of those people, the ones that need to make that choice, the ones that need to leave their homes, the ones that are saying goodbye to a city they love. I tried to explain and the words fail.Anyone who reads this blog

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-69395927781140029162008-08-28T05:56:00.002-07:002008-08-28T06:00:30.946-07:00

Hi all.The newspaper is covered with it. The news won't stop talking about it (I hear). Every Orleanian status message includes the word "Gustav" And yet it seems no one outside SE Louisiana has heard about the oncoming storm. Yes, it's early, but we're all a little on edge, and no wonder--tomorrow is the third anniversary of K-day.Don't worry. I'm getting out.I'll post more later after I

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25062589.post-60444527895829824372008-07-27T14:56:00.002-07:002008-07-27T15:13:17.663-07:00

Storming like crazy...It just makes me want to cuddle up in bed.I don't know what it is about Louisiana, but the rain seems so much more romantic here. Is it the sound? The smell? The distant rumbling of thunder? The break in the heat? There are twenty thousand things I should be doing at this moment, most of which involve cleaning or cooking. But the combination of the heat, the rain, and

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13096718734129779032noreply@blogger.com1