Favorite Foods, Frozen yogurt, Football, Friends...

I'm a little surprised at just how quickly the days are going by. Classes have been going on for two weeks, and it's been almost an entire month since I got here. So far so good.
I can't really say that I miss the desert -- I'll occasionally glance over the local news for that area -- but I do miss my little sister and my close friends. So... I miss like 8 people. If you're reading this, you're probably one of them. And you're welcome to come visit me anytime. I have moments where I get annoyed that I don't know everything there is to know about my new town, "I'm hungry at 10pm! What to eat?" but I honestly can't complain.

Mark arrived a week ago and promptly started working on Monday. It's been interesting so far as neither of us has been able to unpack much -- so there are things scattered everywhere. I've tried to make nice stacks of boxes to allude to my organizational nature, but it's not working very well. It's also very amusing to see the insane amounts of clothing that he owns. I think he could survive without doing laundry for 3 months straight without wearing something twice. Me? Maybe a week. Note to self: Use as an excuse for future clothes shopping.

So right now my favorite places to eat are Crepeville and Cultivé Frozen Yogurt. This is completely unfair, because I really haven't gone anywhere else to eat. These places are so delicious that I don't even want to try anything new yet. Crepeville makes enormous crepes that can feed two, which makes the meal nice and cheap and satisfying. Behold:

So there's one temptation that I'm working on resisting. This one is easily avoided by simply eating at home. The second temptation, however, is not easily avoided. There is no way to satisfy a craving for Cultivé other than just getting up and going there. Their frozen yogurt is simply amazing. The toppings are delicious, ranging from fresh fruit to fruity pebbles. Okay, so what makes it irresistable? My body needs it to function -- there ARE A BAZILLION live active cultures in it that are essential to my nutrition! Oh and it's fat free, too, so when convincing myself not to go there, I have absolutely no reason not to. Behold:

Delish.

In non-food related news, I've made a few friends so far. It's a little slow going since I am not in the dorms, and my lectures are so huge that they don't really afford you the time to interact with anyone. The only real class that gives me the chance to get to know my classmates is my Animal Bio Lab class.. and I'm usually wrists deep into a dead fish. :D :D :D There is something seriously wrong with the fact that I love cutting into dead things and pulling them apart.

My closest friend here is Weijing (Way-cheen) -- she's of chinese descent, but she's from Mexico City. It confuses everyone that meets her; they see her and think she's Chinese-American, then she starts speaking Spanish perfectly, and they just can't wrap their heads around it. I've had complete strangers ask me (when she's not around) "What IS she?" And then I try to explain the possibility that not everyone emigrates to America. Anyway, she's great.. and she's essentially on her own out here since her family is still in Mexico, so we can relate a lot and provide each other unique perspectives on things. Yay. She's also hilarious and we're always cracking each other up.

I've really been making a point of getting out and getting into what the town and university has to offer -- part of this is me trying to be more outgoing, but also getting my money's worth on this investment! Tuition is expensive! Free tickets? Free bus rides? I am milking all these student benefits for what they are worth! So the day after Mark got here, we went to a football game. I managed to get him a student t-shirt, and Weijing graciously gave him her student ticket, so he was able pretend to be a student in the student section. The game turned out to be the MOST EPIC GAME in history, with the winning points being scored from a 32 yard hail mary with only 2.9 seconds left on the clock -- it was seriously a miracle. Read about it here. The entire student section rushed the field and all hell broke loose and it was the most fun I've had in a long time. I forgot how much I really do like football -- years of watching it as a kid with my father are finally paying off.

We also attended a block party pot-luck thing for our neighborhood -- the city of Davis organizes it every year so that students and residents can get to know each other. Since I was sending Mark to go get the ingredients for our dish, I decided to go with something simple. You know, so it would be easy to pick up what we need. The recipe? Crab Salad with twist: get the premade stuff and add chopped toasted almonds, cilantro, lime, and put it on Pumpernickel toasts.
He's at the store. My phone rings.

"They don't have crab salad, can we use Seafood salad?"
"Yes. We need about 3 cups."
(pause, deli attendant talking in background)
"It only comes in pounds."
"Try to estimate"
"ummm.... Okay."
(more deli attendant conversation)
"Honey, I need to go, just call me if you need any more help."
"oh okay."

Phone rings again.

"Roasted Salted Almonds? Cause that's all they have"
"No... you're in the wrong aisle. Those are snacker nuts, you need to go over to the baking stuff."
"Okay"

Phone rings again.

"They only have slivered almonds"
"That's it? No other types??"
"No."
"Okay those will work."

Phone rings again.

"Cilantro, right?"
"YES."

Phone rings again.

"I'm in the bread section, I don't see the pumpernickel you want."
"Try the cheese section, where the Brie is. I'm sure they have it there"
"I'm only seeing water crackers."
"Keep looking."
"oh. there it is."

I forgot to mention that all of these phone calls took place while I was in the shower.

Exhausted, my gallant gatherer hands over the ingredients... and after toasting and chopping the almonds, toasting the pumpernickel, and throwing at all together, this is what I ended up with:

I say "what I ended up with" because after he handed me the ingredients, he seriously went and took a nap. The grocery store depleted him of all his energy. Mark says it's the hardest thing he ever had to do in his life. ::insert eye roll here:: Gotta love him.

My first midterm is in a week... can you believe it? Life is good. Come visit! It'll give me more motivation to unpack!

More Sushi Feasting

There are so many things going on that it is just nicer to focus on one delicious highlight of my life:

Renelle loves sushi almost as much as I do. We had a roll competition tonight. It's pretty apparent that we both won.
What you see here are: 2 California rolls (Renelle made the one on the right, she got extra points for her snazzy presentation), a salmon avocado roll, and a Philadelphia roll. Yum! And of course, my salmon sashimi. Renelle isn't into salmon... so I had no choice but to eat all of it.
I think we're getting the hang of this. :)

Sushi JACKPOT

I'm writing this post with my friends Elena and Chrissy in mind.

My life is almost complete now that i've found you.

Anyone that knows me is aware of my severe sushi addiction, mainly salmon. Raw, delicious salmon. Cooked? Seared? Get that away from me! When I go to Seaworld, Shamu makes me cry and the fish make me hungry.
I found this website a few days ago when pondering the thought of cutting out the expensive middle man and making my own sushi.
Long story short: I've already gone through a pound of this stuff. I have 2 lbs left in my freezer.

I'm sure I wouldn't consume as much if I were eating rice, but right now I'm knocking carbs out of my diet for a little bit to get myself back on track. Maybe in a few weeks I'll make some sushi and rolls with brown rice. I was munching on my Cucumber-Seaweed salad when I was overcome with a delicious idea.

I had ordered Nori with my fish, and apart from the amusing packaging, it is something that is amazingly delicious.

The choicest NORI, the seafood is delicately seasoned and baked. It
brings to your table not only a smack of the sea but also a good health.

So here's what I have deemed Michelle's Amazing Do-it-yourself and Not Go Bankrupt roll..

Quarter up your nori, add your salmon and avocado, and roll it! Then eat it. Don't stand around and take pictures of it, because nori loses it's crunch rather quickly when you don't have rice to keep it from getting soggy.

That's all. Apart from it being pretty darn healthy, my entire meal was also raw. Sometimes I think people go a little overboard on raw diets, but I can see how it can be appealing. I feel nice and satisfied. And if you're ever a guest at my home, you'll be subjected to it. And by it, I mean the sushi thing. I'll leave the nice and satisfied thing up to you and your significant other.

the "Urban Hunter/Gatherer" diet

Although I feel very inconvenienced (but still fortunate in a hierarchy of needs scheme of things) I have noticed some nice aspects of not having a car. Apart from not spending money on gas and polluting the environment (dear god, she's turning in to a hippie!), I am forced to walk to the store. I have to make the simple barter that has existed for centuries that we all take for granted:

Trading your energy, in the form of exercising, for sustenance.

It sounds so simple, right? No one does it anymore. I can't even remember the last time I walked to the store. Well.... in Mexico I did, but that's the way everyone does it, and cities are built accordingly. It's ridiculously easier to walk to the market everyday to purchase the items you need for the day and support the local farmers than to drive to the Gigante and buy in bulk and make a giant trip to spend money on things that are from who-knows-where.
This could easily go into a discussion about local economy and small business vs. EVIL CORPORATIONS, but I will not digress. Danielle nicely sums up her experience about that here.

So as soon as it got down to 100 degrees or so (that would be 6pm in this lovely desert) I began my 1 mile trek to the grocery store. iPod? Check. Debit Card? Check. Water? Check. Mean face for the passing motorists who comment on my ass and or legs? Check.
Apart from drivers' blatant disregard for pedestrians such as myself (does a car stop at the first white line, or second one?), it was a nice little adventure.

I grabbed a basket and proceeded to fill it. When I was almost done, I became tired of carrying it. Then I realized that I needed to be able to schlepp my stuff home. Another 20 minutes were spent playing Grocery Survivor as I cast my vote for most important items, based on a) My stock of it at home, if any, and b) when would I really need it? Some items were switched out for smaller sizes and others were cast out of my basket to be picked up at another visit. You don't really ever notice how heavy a damn onion is. It didn't help that my list consisted of things like soy sauce, rice vinegar, Worcestershire, and tomato sauce.

I purchased one of those reusable grocery bags that no one ever buys and walked out of the store, only to feel horribly unbalanced. I quickly ran back in, bought another, and did my best to personify a pack mule. I made it home just as it got dark, so my total time was about 2 hours.

I've made a pledge to myself to get more exercise. Yesterday I took Diego for a walk around my neighborhood, which was only .8 miles. It was such a chore. Having a goal, like getting food, made this 2 mile walk seem effortless compared to yesterday. I just can't get exercise for the sake of exercise; I need to be doing something else that results in exercise as a side benefit. This may sound so very simple, but it's been what has been keeping me from getting into better shape.
Another obvious feature of the "Walk your ass to the store and carry your ingredients home" fitness plan is that you have to plan your meals ahead. Fast food is not an option; I am not going to walk a mile to eat crap that will only last one meal. I'd rather grab some groceries that will last me a few days. And I am not going to carry a gallon of ice cream home. I could just always eat it on the way home before it melts. I have a limit as to what I can carry and it's more practical to get things that are good for me.
By changing the [convenience to get there : longevity/quality of ingredients] ratio, meals suddenly become a lot healthier.

That's all. It all sounds so basic in retrospect, but I think it might be a simplified cause (one of many) of the the obesity crisis happening around us. In all fairness, I can't imagine following the above plan to feed a family of 4... which brings me to my discussion on why having too many kids... nevermind! haha. To each their own.

Oh, and one more thing: No more bottled water. I encourage you to read about just how lucky we are to have good drinking water flowing out of the tap. And while you're at it, read about what Dasani and Aquafina really are: Tap Water! It's the most ridiculous waste of money ever!

Don't like the taste of tap? Put a lemon in it! They aren't even that heavy!

Friday! Hooray!

Every once in a while, an incredible force takes over my body and I can't control my actions.

This only happens when I go to Carniceria Rancho Grande to buy groceries.

Walking through the doors into this store, where minimal English is spoken, takes me back to my Mexico. The people are friendly, humble, and polite. Somewhere between picking up cheap vegetables and ordering 2 lbs of meat for my delicious carne asada, I become 1000% mexican. I dance through the aisles to the cumbia music that flows though the store, I wiggle my hips while weighing my avocados... I order my beloved goodies from behind the meat counter without my little american accent; and I can't hold still as they are packing up my favorite cheese. I'm a total mexican now. I've become Rosario.

There's a spring in my step as I make my way back to my truck, ingredients in hand. I'm one hungry Mexican on a mission to make the most delicious meal ever.

I get home and greet the dogs in Spanish. They aren't bilingual so they're a bit confused, but not for long. The smell of carne asada is a universal language. I've got the Mexican radio station blasting. Yes, the Mexican oompah music. ACCORDIANS and all. I'm beyond the point of no return... I don't even speak English at this point.

The meat is a sizzlin', the music is a bumpin', and I'm dancing, fork in hand... looking like the quintessential drunken aunt that appears at every Mexican wedding. The dogs have retreated to the living room, north of the kitchen, back into American territory... but I remain here, determined to satisfy the hungry Mexican within me.

I toss the tortillas onto the fire like a pro, flip them without the usual accompanying 3rd degree burns, and pop them on a plate. And they wait, naked, until my delicious carne asade joins them. I add some peruvian beans - the lighter, more delicate sibling of those overused pinto beans. Normally the trio is completed with the addition of these beans... but not tonight. Tonight is different.

I've got ceviche tostadas.

I look at my creation with a faint "Ay dios mio, que lindo" and settle down with a glass of lime-aid. I close my eyes and forget where I am... and with every bite, I come back down to my original state. My thoughts are in English again, the music is now slightly annoying, but the food - the food remains just as delicious.

If you ever accompany me to Carniceria Rancho Grande, do not question what is happening to me. Embrace it... your stomach will thank you. And perhaps you'll take with you a little bit of my querido Mexico.

A Tale of Two Pancakes

I made perfect pancakes this morning. Golden brown, not burnt, plate sized and perfectly round, these were pancakes to be remembered. So I ate them.
Arranged neatly next to my eggs, accompanied by my pulpilicious orange juice, I couldn't help but admire this perfection of a Breakfast Trifecta.

Now this may not sound like some major achievement, but it is. I've been burning ruining making pancakes since I was 7 years old. No one ever supervised me... I just followed the directions on the box. In the beginning I thought it perfectly normal to eat my pancakes to the sound of the smoke detector.
Since then, my pancakes have been nearly perfect. Misshapen yet delicious, stacked from largest to smallest - what was lacking? It's simple.

Love.

These pancakes were the first pancakes I have made since I've been in love. They were worthy of the cover of Pancakes Weekly magazine. Coincidence? You decide. I think it's fairly obvious.