cinnamon bear.

While at the grocery store last weekend, I conned Micah into getting cinnamon bears AND watermelon sour stripes. Yum!

And while doing lots of reading and researching, they are the perfect companion.

Usually, I eat their heads off first. There's nothing wrong with that, right?

beer.

Over MLK weekend, Micah had some college friends in town. We went to Odells brewery in Fort Collins, CO, since microbreweries are the thing to do in Colorado.

I'm not a big beer fan (pass the wine please!), so I just split a flight with Rachel.

I'm really glad Melissa and Andrew came with us, they helped me keep my sanity amongst all Micah's crazy friends!

We took a tour.

And saw lots of metal and wires.

And, the conveyor belt where the bottles are filled.

The cooler (where beer is stored) can be kept at the right temperature in the winter simply by funneling air in from the outside.

Last, but not least, Melissa and I tried to steal a barrel, but it was too heavy (and we thought it might look suspicious if we carried it out).

(sorry the photo's blurry)

did i mention school started again?

Probably not, given that I haven't posted in f.o.r.e.v.e.r!

So, since I don't have tons of time on my hands, I've decided to do a series (completely, and utterly unconnected) of small posts.

First on the list is pizza.

I love pizza, most all kinds of pizza. But, my favorite has to be Potato, Garlic, and Pesto Pizza. Haven't heard of it? Well, I hadn't either, that is until I had moved to San Francisco and visited the incredible Escape from New York Pizza. It's one of their specialities.

Since, I now find myself not located anywhere near where I could buy this gem for less that $3.50 a slice, I've experimented with how to make it at home.

Ingredients:

--Roughly 5, small red potatoes-thinly sliced

--Mozzarella cheese (you'll have to guess here, just use enough to cover a pizza)

--Crust (I've gotten accustomed to using the pillsbury roll out crust, not the best, but it works)

--Pesto sauce

--Garlic (a whole elephant garlic head)

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2) Cut off the top of the garlic head and sprinkle with olive oil, wrap it in foil, and toss it in the oven. Roast for at least 45 minutes, or until the cloves are soft when poked with a fork.

3) While the garlic's roasting, heat up a few tablespoons of oil in a skillet and toss in the thinly sliced potatoes. Season with salt, pepper, and maybe some italian seasoning. I usually cover them while they cook (about 15-20 minutes) and let them brown.

4) Roll out your dough and spread on the pesto sauce (don't be shy with it).

5) When the potatoes are done, lay them out in rows covering as much of the dough.

6) Layer with some mozzarella and throw on remaining potato slices (if there are any remaining).

7) When the garlic is soft, pull it out clove by clove with a fork or knife (try to keep it in clove form if possible). Evenly distribute them on the pizza. (It may sound like a lot of garlic, but roasting garlic takes out quite a bit of its bite).

8) Throw on some more cheese and bake in the oven as per the dough directions (I think pillsbury is about 13 minutes).

When it's all done, hopefully the pizza will look like this:

Well, this post was a little longer than expected, but I hope you will try this recipe (especially those that love garlic)...it really is fantastic!

Enjoy eating all that starchy goodness!

she's keeping her girlish figure.

pretty much in love with this song right now.

Laughing With: by Regina Spektor

No one laughs at God in a hospital

No one laughs at God in a war

No one's laughing at God when they're starving or freezing or so very poor

No one laughs at God when the doctor calls after some routine tests

No one's laughing at God when it's gotten real late and their kid's not back from that party yet

No one laughs at God when their airplane starts to uncontrollably shake

No one's laughing at God when they see the one they love hand in hand with someone else and they hope that they're mistaken

No one laughs at God when the cops knock on their door and they say "We've got some bad new, sir,"

No one's laughing at God when there's a famine, fire or flood

But God can be funny

At a cocktail party while listening to a good God-themed joke or

Or when the crazies say he hates us and they get so red in the head you think that they're about to choke

God can be funny

When told he'll give you money if you just pray the right way

And when presented like a genie

Who does magic like Houdini

Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus

God can be so hilarious

Ha ha

Ha ha

No one laughs at God in a hospital

No one laughs at God in a war

No one's laughing at God when they've lost all they got and they don't know what for

No one laughs at God on the day they realize that the last sight they'll ever see is a pair of hateful eyes

No one's laughing at God when they're saying their goodbyes

But God can be funny

At a cocktail party while listening to a good God-themed joke or

Or when the crazies say he hates us and they get so red in the head you think that they're about to choke

God can be funny

When told he'll give you money if you just pray the right way

And when presented like a genie

Who does magic like Houdini

Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus

God can be so hilarious

No one laughs at God in a hospital

No one laughs at God in a war

No one laughs at God in a hospital

No one laughs at God in a war

No one's laughing at God in a hospital

No one's laughing at God in a war

No one's laughing at God when they're starving or freezing or so very poor

No one's laughing at God

No one's laughing at God

No one's laughing at God

We're all laughing with God

You can listen to it and watch the music video here.

week in review.

Monday: I went back to school...I'm taking Development, Population, and Environment in Latin America, International Political Economy, and Humanitarian Aid in Complex Emergencies...sounds exciting, doesn't it?

Tuesday: Brought Nora home from the shelter...she's curled up next to me sleeping as I type this.

Wednesday: Melissa and Andrew came over for dinner; I made lasagna.

Thursday: Micah and I cheered on Alabama as they WON 2010's BCS National Championship.

(Special thanks to Mark Ingram for making the win a reality!)

Friday: I bought stuff at the store to make nachos for dinner...Micah, if you read this, hope that sounds good?

In other news, I read an article today on CNN. It reminded me how pervasive domestic violence is in our society. How women and men of all classes, races, ethnicities, orientations, and religions withstand its destructive and often debilitating impacts. The power of threats and ridicule and violence cannot be so nicely contained into a stereotype; and yet all too often attempts are made to do so. Perhaps it is a skewed view I carry, but I find it hard to find the humanness in men and women that brutalize intimate partners and/or family members. So with that said, Mr. fancy attorney that came all too close to killing your wife last night, I hope your actions haunt you. I hope that even with all the money you have to pay your way out of the consequences you SHOULD face, that guilt follows you. And, that if at some point your wife chooses to forgive the unforgivable which you have committed, I hope you remember the blood you drew and the gasps your wife made as she courageously held onto her life. Actions such as yours are disgraceful, and yet they continue to permeate society through and through.

meet Eleanor.

Eleanor (or Nora for short) is a tiny bundle of energy and yesterday she joined the family. At 10 months old, and weighing only 8 pounds, she's pretty tiny, but that hasn't stopped her exploring every inch of our 675 square foot apartment. She's the typical curious cat.

The car ride home from the shelter was traumatizing (but what car ride isn't for a cat?), but once she was out of her carrier and into the apartment, she has seemed pretty much at home. Her favorite place so far is our bed...oops! She's so cute though.