The Void and Neztra

My friend HP Sauce has inspired me to write about food, which is, if anyone has ever met me, obviously a love of mine. I love to cook. I am not a genius in the kitchen, but I try hard and like to think that I have a slightly above average pallet. So I am going to start posting recipes as I try them if they are truly good. This weekend, I made a Coconut-Cashew Basmati Rice Salad. This recipe smells SO GOOD when cooking and whets the appetite of your dinner party well before it is ready to eat. It was sheer perfection with grilled salmon, asparagus and green onions. I highly recommend the combination. Here's the rice recipe. I found it in Bobby Flay's Boy Meets Grill, but changed it up a bit to suit my taste:

2 cups of well rinsed and drained basmati rice
1-14 oz. can of unsweetened coconut milk
2 1/2 cups of water
1 medium sweet, white onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
2 medium cloves of garlic, finely minced
4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
10 large green onions, sliced
1 cup raw cashews, halved
3/4 cup shredded coconut
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat 3 Tbsp. of vegetable oil in a large sauce pan with a nice, thick bottom over medium-high heat. Add the sliced white onion, minced garlic and grated ginger. Cook for about five minutes or until the onions are translucent in color, but not browned.

At the same time, in a seperate pan, heat the water and coconut milk over medium heat.

Add the rice to the onions in the sauce pan and saute for about three minutes. When the coconut milk and water comes to a soft boil, pour the liquid gently over the rice and stir quickly to mix. Immediately cover the pan and turn the heat down to the lowest setting. Let cook for 20 minutes. DO NOT STIR, MIX, REMOVE LID, OR LOOK AT THE RICE TOO HARD. Seriously, don't touch it for 20 minutes, even though you'll want to.

While the rice is cooking, heat the remaining 1 Tbsp. of vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the cashews and saute until they begin to brown. Turn the cashews out onto some paper towels to drain and add salt to taste.

Turn the shredded coconut out into the heated pan and toss continuously for a minute until some of the coconut starts to brown. Do not cook until all coconut is brown. you are going for a light toasting, which means about 25% of the coconut pieces will be brown.

Toss three-fourths of the cashews, the toasted coconut and the sliced green onion in a large mixing bowl.

After twenty minutes, fluff the rice with a fork and then add to the bowl with the cashew, coconut and onion mixture. Toss gently to incorporate. Add salt and pepper to taste.

When plating, garnish with a few of the reserved cashews for added presentation.

Yields: A lot more rice than I thought. Enough for six people to have really big servings.

Not sure how long this is going to last, but I am going to try to start reviewing movies I watch. They will be rated as follows:

Infinity winks - Movie Nirvana. There will never be a better film than this (you'll most likely never see this rating)
5 winks - OMG, this is going on my top ten movies of all time list
4 winks - Great film! I will see this again and add it to my DVD collection
3 winks - Solid entertainment. I may or may not see it again. Didn't blow my mind, but wasn't a total waste of money either.
2 winks - I wish I could get my money back. Help me save you some money. Don't bother, unless you are ab avid fan of this genre of film.
1 wink - OMG, I want my money AND my two hours back. What a waste of film. Please, for the love of all that is good in this world, please dont' go see this film.
Eyelids taped so I can't wink - It would be better to end civilization as we know it than to allow one more poor, unsuspecting soul to be forced to watch this film (I sincerely hope I never have to use this rating)

So this weekend, I saw two movies. Here's the run-down:

The Bucket List, starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson
I am sure that there are many out there that would give this film a higher rating. I'll admit, the acting was great and the story line was solid, but I really think that films like this bank way too much on what I like to call the "misty eye" factor. In other words the philosophy is crying = good film. I don't buy it. yes, I got misty eyed at the end, but just because it envoked an emotion response from me does not mean it was a good film. If you want to feel crazy emotions while watching a movie AND see a truly stellar film at the same time, watch the french film "Love Me If You Dare", then go back and witness the difference. The Bucket List will seem trite after that.... and it is, a bit. Still, Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson are worth watching and their on-screen partnership is fascinating. My rating: 3 winks

10,000 BC, starring some people I have never heard of and the voice of Omar Sharif
(I know, I know, I could do some research. This is lazy-woman's film rating, but I never promised you critical reviews on par with S & E circa 1989 - so get over it)

I have no idea how historically accurate this seemingly historical fictional plot truly is, but it was surprisingly fun to watch. I had a hard time trying to figure out where in Africa these people might have lived where they could be up in a snow covered mountain rangeone day, in a tropical rain forest the next, the savannah and the desert, all in what appears to be the matter of perhaps a few weeks, maybe a month of walking. I mean, how fast can a person walk in a day?? Or maybe my understanding of climates in 10,000 BC is flawed. Who knows. Ultimately though, historical merit aside, this was a fun-ish movie to watch. The acting was nothing special, not was the plot, but there were some beautiful vistas (CGI though they may be) in the film and there was enough variety, action and story to keep the film moving along at a pretty good pace. Not bad! My rating: 3 winks

This blog is starting to feel a bit like the journals I tried to keep as a child. I would write a few times and then the journal would disappear under my bed, only to be pulled out a year later, dusted off and used again. This time, I am going to try to be better about keeping up with my blog. Not that anyone reads it. Much like the journals of my childhood. And that is OK. I wouldn't want to bore anyone to death.



This past weekend, I drive down to H-town to visit my eight month old nephew, Jacob. Yes, he was hatched back in October. I know last time I wrote, he was still baking and was only about half-done. My sister-in -law went through quite a hard time to have him, ending up in the hospital for 10 weeks flat on her back, fearful the entire time. But enough about that... Jacob is a true miracle baby.



I know everyone says that their child or a child that is important to them is beautiful, but honestly, this kid is a knockout. I will post a picture to prove it. He's adorable. And the personality on this kid - he's just perfect!



Top ten reasons why he is the cutest kid ever:



1. Jacob sleeps with his little arms and legs tucked under his belly and sleeps with his butt in the air.

2. When he wakes up, he usually toots, no matter who is in the room or their level of importance in the grand scheme of life. Ah... to be that unself-conscious....

3. Jacob is a narcissist. When he sees himself in the mirror, a huge grin lights up his face, like he has found a long-lost friend.

4. Jacob is caught up in a torrid love-affair with Daffy Duck - the look of love and affection that crosses his face when he sees his stuffed ducky can bring you to tears.

5. Jacob is a couch potato. Food Network or Mario Galaxy for Wii, if there are lots of colors and interesting sounds, Jacob is mesmerized.

6. Jacob thinks it is funny when his mother sneezes and when his Daddy passes gas.

7. Jacob has aspirations of being a ballerina (ballerino? balletist??? I have no clue what the name for a male ballet dancer is). He likes to bounce in his Jumper-roo on his toes.

8. Jacob loves it when I blow raspberries on his tummy.

9. Jacob has the cutest little fat rolls on his legs and soft little baby heels.

10. Jacob is never sad for long and always perks up with a little love and attention.



Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a cotton candy, pink hearts and unicorns person. But this kid has definitely chipped away at my cynical side. Brat....

I am playing catch up. Can you tell? Watch, after this post, there will be no new ones for another month. Hopefully though, I'll have something interesting to tell you in a couple of days.

So, I bought an elliptical machine. Yes, that's right,

I...voluntarily...bought....a.....torture....device.

Why you ask? Well, anyone who knows me personally would never, ever ask that question. One glance at my rapidly expanding ass (sort of like how the universe is constantly expanding...only my ass is expanding on a more exponential level than even the great universe) is enough said.

I'm 30! I have got to get myself in shape. Now is the time in a person's life when the doctor starts to say things like "cholesterol too high" and "blood pressure to high" and "bottom not high enough". Or maybe my best friends are saying that last one. Anyway, I value their opinion as much as a doctor, so, it is worth stating.

So, I buy this elliptical machine. Nordic Trac, $750. Yes, I paid out my huge bum for this thing. So I had better use it I suppose.

The first night, I put it together with the help of my father. Or maybe he put it together with my help. Eh, he's not writing this blog, so I'll state it my way. See the first sentence in this paragraph. Anyway, they should have said in the instructions, "Putting this big beast together is equal to your first work out in the amount of muscle pain and stubbed toes it will cause you to experience."

The next morning, I awoke to watch the sun rise, glinting off the cold black steel frame and I had to repress a terrified shudder. Oh no! Now I had to actually use it. This sucks.

And it did. It sucked for a whole ten minutes. No really, that's about all I could do the first day. I'll just wait while you finish with your hyena-like laughs, and are able to gasp in some actual usable air again. OK, you done?

Yes, ten whole minutes. I dismounted from the Sadistic Stallion of Shame on wobbly knees and ankles and huffed my way into the kitchen for a nice, cold glass of Riesling. Uh huh, seriously.

The next day was better. I lasted fifteen minutes!

The day after that, I gave my screeching calves and bum a rest.

The next day, I rode the Smug Steed for fifteen minutes at level 5 resistance. Woohoo! I'm doing better!

Today, I was able to get through fifteen real minutes of working out without feeling like I was going to have a coronary right there on the machine. Oh happy day.

Maybe next week I will have worked my way up to a truly staggering twenty minutes.

On another note, I have more good news. I know! Can you stand it? I am really on cloud nine right now.

I finally, after two months of job hunting all over the greater Dallas area, was hired by an excellent company right here in Duncanville.

There must be something I am missing. The people are incredibly nice, down-to-earth and fun to be around. The work is interesting and challenging, in a good way. The salary is great, and my commute to work is exactly 1.52 miles. On back roads no less!

I really think sometimes God just takes a spiritual brick and smacks a big 'ol cosmic crater into the center of your forehead to make you stand up and pay attention to Him guiding our lives. I knew, from the moment I left that office on the day of my interview, that it was the perfect job for me.

It took two weeks for them to call me back. I was on pins and needles, and a neurotic mess. After they called to tell me that they wanted to hire me, I was elated and all that worrying just slipped away. I wish I had the faith then to give my worrying up to Him. I'm just woefully flawed. I know I say that all the time, but honestly, it is the truth. I am an incredibly flawed human being, but apparently, still worth looking after, which is a bit of a relief.

Reading back over my last post, it is hard to believe I was ever in such a sorry emotional state. Life has truly taken a turn for the better.

My mother's situation is by far the best blessing my family and I have experienced this month. The tests they ran on the lump that they removed from her breast a month ago were all best case scenario for her. They got all of the malignancy and she will not have to have chemotherapy. She will have to do seven weeks of radiation therapy and will be on hormone inhibitors for a very long time to ensure that the cancer does not come back. But that's OK. Taking a few pills every day is nothing compared to what millions of cancer patients face each day.

I have a new-found appreciation for the plight of people suffering from terminal illness, specifically cancers. I've especially cleared out a space in my heart for their loved ones who have to face the certainty that their heart will been torn in two in due time when their friend, wife, lover, mother, father, brother or sister passes from this world. It is my fervent hope that I will be able to help these people in some small way. I'm not sure how yet, but when the idea hits me, I'll know it.

As for mom, I think she has a new lease on life and she realizes that she is a much stronger person than she ever thought she was. I am truly proud of her quiet strength and faith in God throughout this entire ordeal. Mom has always been my hero, but now, she's legend.

At some point, I'll have something more uplifting to post about, but for now, I'm living in a shadow of the good life. I'm in a dank and musty cave, buried in the gloom of the rocks around me, looking out on the dappled golden sunlight, dancing on the surface of fair waters, just out of my reach.

The latest news, my mom has breast cancer. I found out a few weeks ago and simply haven't been able to collect my thoughts enough to write about it. I am sure there are many, many people out there who know exactly how I am feeling right now. There is the shock of the news. The unbelief. The denial. And the age old question, "how could this happen to us?"

I don't think it truly hit me with all the gusto of a hurricane until Monday night at 11:00. My mom had just gotten out of surgery to remove the lump and two of her lymph nodes and lay in a hospital bed at the southern medical hospital. My mom is 5'10. She is an amazon. She's always a presence in the room, but that night, she was like a dusky green-dried out shell of herself. Her skin and bone structure seemed to droop, only kept in place by the coarse cotton sheet she lay on.

It was dark, cold and quiet in that room and only the sound of the machines she was hooked up to broke the silence. My dad sat in a chair by her bed, holding her hand, his shoulders making an upside down U under his rumpled shirt. The picture of sadness. It was a dark time for us. A very real look at what could be the future of all of us.

The positive news is that they caught my mom's cancer very early on and the doctors seem to be confident about her chances of making a full recovery, although, the robots that they are, no one will come out and say it. She'll have to undergo seven weeks of radiation treatment at best, chemo if necessary, but we are hoping that won't be the case.

She's back home now, surrounded by a garden of flowers and plants from friends and loved ones. Her color is coming back and the desperation of Monday night is slowly receding into our memories. Somehow though, I hope it doesn't disappear completely. It is a great reminder of the fragility of each of our lives and good to remember, even when we venture out from our gloomy caves and turn our faces up into that shower of amber sunlight beyond.