not a shop-a-holic.

Sure, we have a Cub Food's grocery store just 5 blocks off campus. Sure, we have a Wal*Mart a few miles off campus. Sure, we have a local pharmacy a 5 minute walk of campus.

But what about the other stuff?

I wore a uniform in middle school and a uniform through my first three years of high school so when I hit college I realized that color coordination is an okay thing. At Beloit is doesn't matter quite as much but I also found that my shopping was squished into short periods of time. My week-long mid-term breaks are centered around when I can get to Downtown Santa Cruz to buy a new pair of pants and another pair of leggings. When my sneakers start to fall apart on me through the snow and rain I pray they don't disintegrate before I can buy a fresh pair.

That's where the internet comes in handy. Amazon. Ebay. Threadless. Old Navy. Whatever we can click our mouses on.

Once I've learned my shoe size or pants preference for specific brands it's a breeze. Sometimes I even wing it and guestimate...

Recently, my favorite shoe company has become Simple Shoes. I love my black Satire's, my Joe Curren Satire's, and my darkearth Tomatoe's. Made from recycled plastic bottles, truck tires, organic cotton and water based glues, these shoes are durable and comfy.

Another favorite of myself and many students on campus for all our t-shirt needs is Threadless. Not only do we wear holes in these American Apparel and Fruit of the Loom Tees but some organizations even adopt them for themselves! Last semester, the fraternity Phi Kappa Psi used the "Communist Party" shirt!

Threadless recently had a $9 sale and my friends and I hit it up FAST. I already had three shirts from another sale but two more can't hurt...right?

And coming up are the Greek formals. I've been invited to go to Alpha Sigma Tau's Spring Formal with my friend Allison. Woo! Excuse to buy something I've been eying for a while: a red swing dress from Daddy-O's. It arrived yesterday and looks fabulous. I can get lots of mileage out of the dress, too.

But don't think it's just clothes. It's also strange things. Mattress pads, loose leaf teas, wigs, reference books, posters, appliances and music.

By the way, I'm waiting for two albums to arrive from the UK.... Foal's Antidotes and Reverend and the Maker's State of Things. They're cheaper to import from Amazon UK rather than Amazon US.




OH! Did I mention...I'm going to see CHEAP TRICK AND JOAN JETT on Saturday!

rewind, rewind

My mom says that children are there to prove you wrong. Whatever you say they will then turn into a lie.

Apparently it works for the Midwest too. Everyone on campus was ready for flip-flops and shorts this weekend. And then we awoke to this:



We got about 5 inches in less than 24 hours. Not unusual for southern Wisconsin but IT WAS THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING. It's in the high 30s today so it's melting. Uggggghhhh...

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Well, my HUGE project for Environment and Society was finished and submitted at 11:15 PM last night. By the time that was finished, I was bushed. I had already missed the rockabilly band that played a C-Haus [campus bar] so I loaded Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train on Netflix.

With the weight of that off my shoulders, I hit snooze on my alarm clock this morning until noon. That felt nice. But of course I had missed brunch with friends so, inspired by fellow blog Simply Breakfast to make myself a nice, simple brunch of orange juice and rye bread with organic peanut butter and banana, to start off my day.




Eating in a dorm doesn't mean it has to be Ramen.

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QUESTION: Does anyone actually click all the links I put in my posts?

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QUESTION: Is Paul Newman the hottest man ever?
ANSWER: Yes, yes he is.

spring has sprung

It's officially spring starting tomorrow night with the vernal equinox but today cemented it for me. Sure, the snow is basically gone since the temperatures have been warming consistently since spring break.

But one thing seals it on this campus: Ultimate Frisbee


It also helps that Beloit College holds the record for the longest continuous Ultimate Frisbee game: 72 hours, 15 minutes. It was set one rainy, muddy spring day that forever lives in the hearts of Beloit students: 9 April 2006.

And even though I was not here yet, it's still pretty darn powerful.

it goes up to 11

With two of my classes focusing on global climate change and the general destruction by humans of our Earth, I have to find positive reasons to keep going; my single CFL light bulb doesn't help.

Netflix, an excellent local public library, and the Film Series club aid Beloit students in fleshing out their film watching skillz. Most weekends, sometimes twice, the Flim Series puts on strange, cult and indie films.

Anyone who knows me that I have strange taste in films. I tend to gravitate toward dark comedies but love suspense films and adore musicals. Hitchcock's library is slowly being ticked off my list [I love finding his cameos] but I cannot count how many times I've seen Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

I've watched classic silent films with their striking scores and period films about the lowest scum of the earth. I have watched some movies that are pretty messed up.

But this one topped them all.

Film Series showed 2006's Brothers of the Head on Saturday night. Punk rock conjoined twins, you say? Sure, I'm there. Maybe that was a bad idea. I'm usually all for mockumentaries, especially of musicians [This is Spın̈al Tap, anyone?] but this one was....just too much. I had to go watch Voodoo Barbie [student improv] and dance the night away at Alpha Sigma Tau's annual St. Patrick's Day party to clear my mind.

Sadly, I missed Film Series' Wallace and Gromit night.

short and sweet

Ack. March is turning out to be a very, very full month. I have many things due this week and more due the following week.

I just received an email from my Aunt Evelyn with a link to the obituary of my great Aunt Hope. Because she lived in Rhode Island, I hadn't seen her in over two years.

"After the death of the body the spirit perishes, is like imagining that a bird in a cage will be destroyed if the cage is broken, though the bird has nothing to fear from the destruction of the cage." - Baha'i Writings

Soar to heaven, Aunt Hope.

Food, Glorious Food!

I left 65 degree sunshine on Sunday morning only to arrive back to melting snow and a reset clock [which I then, promptly, set 12 hours off which made me miss my first class on Monday].

But Spring Break was great.

What I miss most about being away from home are the food choices. When I go home I hit up my favorite places and taste the diversity that Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties have to offer.

But before we even start the drive over the mountains toward home we make a stop: In-N-Out. I like the #2 - a Double Double with grilled onions and a chocolate shake. My friend Brianna is from Northern California as well and even though she's now a vegetarian she says she misses In-N-Out.

Now, I must mention that Sunday, 2 Mar, my first full day home, was the first day of the Baha'i Fast. Sun rise to sun set, for 19 days, Baha'is over 15 fast. It is a discipline that I actually enjoy doing. But after only one day, I came down with a horrible cold. Illness, age, travel, menstruation, pregnancy and nursing are reasons for not fasting so I was exempt.

This did mean, though, that I got to eat.

On the Sunday night, my sister Charlotte and I hit up Marianne's Ice Cream, a Santa Cruz favorite. Usually I get the Peanut Butter and Chocolate or Mint Chocolate Chip but I decided to be daring. After multiple times sampling it, I went for it: Pistachio Cardamom. Though it reminded me of little old Persian ladies, it was FANTASTIC; creamy but spicy and full of whole pistachios.

[Yes, those are dancing cows on the wall paper]

Back at Thanksgiving, I helped make some of the best bread I've ever had. I attempted to remake it. Yewollo Ambasha [recipe linked] is an Ethiopian spice bread. My first attempt, with a mix of different flours, turned out dense but well for a first time. Along with it, I made Doro Wat [recipe linked], a spicy chicken stew, also from Ethiopia. The stew and bread were both hits among the family and the general consensus was to have it again.

On Friday we opened our home to friends to come break the fast with us. I started baking as soon as I was up that morning and finished cooking just as people arrived. I made three loaves of Yewollo Ambasha [this time with just regular flour] and 5 times the recipe of Doro Wat. We were expecting lots of people, which was a good thing because 35-40 people showed up for dinner! The chicken from the Doro Wat was gone by the time I got around to it but spicy, caramelized onions and sauce on bread is just as delicious.

One week was not enough it hit up all my usual favorites [Indian, Japanese, Mongolian BBQ, Greek, etc.] but summer is only 8 weeks away...



**images courtesy of Google Images and my sister's cell phone

Craisin Oatmeal Cookies

It's is Ayyam-I-Ha! These 4 days [but 5 on leap years] is a time of gift giving, service projects and celebration in the Baha'i Faith. The Baha'i Calendar is made up of 19 months of 19 days each. This leaves some days left over at the end of February before the month of the Fast. Starting Sunday March 2nd, Baha'is over the age of 15 will fast from sunrise until sunset for 19 days. On March 21st, we celebrate Naw-Ruz [New Year]. And what else happens that day? The Vernal Equinox; the official start of spring!

But because it's also midterms I've had a hard time getting to the local Ayyam-I-Ha activities. I did manage, though, to do some baking.

Dorm kitchens can sometimes get messy but most afternoons they are quiet and a good place to bake. With the Wild v. Capitals hockey game* on in the background I made my newest favorite cookie: Craisin Oatmeal.

*I'm a loyal Sharks fan, though.

Since so many of my friends have been raving about them I'm putting up the recipe for all to see.
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Craisin Oatmeal Cookies

350F - 10-12 minutes [until golden around the edges and soft in the middle]
Makes 1.5 dozen approx.

1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar*
2 Tbsp honey*
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract*
1 c. flour*
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1.5 c. oats
1 cup raisins*

PARCHMENT PAPER!


Optional:
1/2 c. nuts
1 c. chocolate chips [REMOVE CINNAMON]


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*Modifications that I use:
Splenda brown sugar mix [which equals half the amount]
Cranberry honey [local]
Pure, real vanilla extract
Red Mill gluten free flour mix OR flour of choice [spelt & amaranth mixes are great]
Craisins instead of raisins

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Preheat oven to 350F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Large bowl: butter and brown sugar until well blended.
Add honey, egg and vanilla. Beat until smooth

Smaller bowl [or not!]: flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt. Mix with butter mixture.

Add oats and raisins. Mix until thoroughly combine.

THESE ARE WAY STICKY. Spoon/roll/pinch dough and place on sheet.

10-12 minutes or until golden brown on edges with soft middle.

Preferably cool on a rack but just the parchment paper works.

ENJOY!