the senoritas

The last time Dani went away, I went upstairs and found beaver on top of Dani’s wardrobe with a table leg. God knows where he found it, since we don’t own a table. All afternoon, I tried to tempt him down with sticks, but every time I would come close he gave me dirty looks over his shoulder and contemptuously flicked his tail. It took five sticks, a piece of our wicker sofa, and a wooden doorknob to bring him down … and next time, I’m worried the price will be much higher. Dani leaves town again in April. Pray for us.

]]> http://dossenoritasymas.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/beaver-misses-dani/feed/ 2 dossenoritasymas beaver-on-cupboard http://dossenoritasymas.wordpress.com/2012/02/21/book-review-eating-animals/ http://dossenoritasymas.wordpress.com/2012/02/21/book-review-eating-animals/#comments Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:05:31 +0000 dossenoritasymas http://dossenoritasymas.wordpress.com/?p=1472 Continue reading →]]> Jonathan Safran-Foer’s novels are complicated and intense (Everything is Illuminated, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close), and can be difficult to get through. He’s a great writer, but my favorite piece by him which is a little easier to get through is Eating Animals; a non-fiction exploration into the culture of eating animals. It covers anything from health benefits (or lack of), to organic farms, and different cultures throughout the world who eat, or don’t eat, animals.

The only drawback to the book is that many times it emphasizes negative aspects of eating meat and promotes vegetarianism, but doesn’t really touch enough on how animal products such as milk, yogurt, cheese, eggs, ect. can have the same negative effects.

It’s a really interesting book, and if you’d like to know a little bit more about what you’re eating, we would definitely recommend it. Plus, the typography on the cover is awesome.

the senoritas

You will need (serves four):

• baby spinach leaves (for salad) OR green leaf lettuce (for wraps)
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1 mango, cut into matchstick pieces
• 1 cucumber, cut into matchstick pieces
• 2 bunches spring onions, chopped
• 1 lime, quartered
• 1-2 cups quinoa OR bulgar wheat

For the dressing:

• 1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 6 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon asian sesame oil

1. Cook your quinoa (if pre-rinsed, put 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups water into a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover, cooking for 10-15 minutes. If not pre-rinsed, see great cooking instructions here). OR prepare your bulgar wheat (put two cups bulgar wheat and two cups water into a bowl and let sit for one hour. Voila!)

2. Chop all the other ingredients and arrange nicely on a plate.
3. Make the salad dressing. I know, there is mayonnaise in it. Gross. You can’t taste it, though, and this salad dressing is delicious. I crave it. I dream about it.This salad dressing is to me as the One Ring is to Gollum. We wants it, we needs it. It is my precious.

4. Assemble the salads (if you’re making wraps, just dump all the veggies on a lettuce leaf, top with sauce, and devour). For salads, put spinach leaves in a bowl. Top with quinoa or bulgar wheat. Pile on mango, cucumber, spring onions, and cilantro. Squeeze a lime on top. Add salad dressing. Enjoy! … And you will. Immensely.

in the meantime, enjoy this picture of a squirrel:

happy sunday, everyone!

House sangria (and our romantic lighting):

Mac and cheese with chocolate:

Eggplant fries (light, fluffy, delicious with a mustard/horseradish aioli):

Blackened shrimp with rosemary grits:

It was the best restaurant experience we’ve had in quite awhile, and we’ll definitely go back – if not for the delicious food and wonderful staff, then for the amazing list of cocktails.

bon appetit!

the senoritas

He arrived, and I greeted him at the front door. He stood awkwardly on the lawn about five feet away until I finally remembered my manners and asked him in. Once inside, he seemed really restless – roaming the house, picking things up, peering into boxes, handling my parent’s belongings very casually, like you might expect someone who’d been over to the house 1000 times would do. He even opened a box of cookies and began eating out of it.

After about half an hour of this strange roaming, peppered with awkward bits of conversation, we decided to go get coffee. On our way out the door, Shidot stopped in the family room to look at Ralph, our brother’s pet chinchilla. Ralph, an often surly creature, loves treats and I suggested Shidot feed her one. I handed him the container of sugar-coated fruit but instead of passing one to the chinchilla, he started popping the treats into his own mouth. I started laughing, thinking it was some sort of joke, but he just looked at me and kept eating them. I stood there, confused, for another minute, then diplomatically (I hope) confiscated the chinchilla treats and dragged him out the door.

I had imagined we’d go sit somewhere and talk over coffee, but as we passed a Home Depot, Shidot suggested we get coffee to go and walk around inside.The next hour and a half was spent walking around Home Depot with cups of take-out coffee, inspecting various doors, plants, and bins of nails and screws. Shidot made several comments when we first got there about wanting me to only walk on his right side, and asked me to move to accommodate him. Not being very knowledgeable about home improvement products, I didn’t know what to say or do, so I kept feigning interest in things: “Hey, look at that lawn hose! I didn’t know they came in orange!” or “Wow, there’s a lot of lumber here.”

Finally, we headed back to my parent’s house. I can fake interest in anything for awhile, but I’d hit my limit and if Shidot didn’t leave soon, I was going to crumple to the ground and start sobbing. We hit my parent’s driveway and I told Shidot I’d walk him to his car. As we arrived at his car, my parents drove by, on their way home from the grocery store. Instead of leaving, Shidot did an about face, saying he wanted to meet my parents. They were good sports, but he kept making odd comments and even my mom, the nicest human being to walk the planet, started to look uncomfortable.

Shidot decided he’d better get home. I walked him to his car (again), where we exchanged a clumsy goodbye hug. Instead of pulling back, as is proper in a hug, Shidot just stood there. I had already stepped back a bit and I was afraid, if I slowly backed away, like I would from an angry badger, it might be construed as rude, so I just stood there as well. Suddenly, Shidot leaned forward and kissed me on the mouth. As I stood there frozen, he told me he’d call me, then hopped into his truck and drove away. I haven’t answered his phone calls since.

The moral of the story is this: guys, you can do a lot of awkward things and most girls will be willing to give you a second chance. But don’t eat the chinchilla food.

He is quite suspicious by nature, as you can see by his expression. When we found beaver, he was lurking near some bushes at a vineyard in Charlottesville, Virginia. Dani had an interview with a company nearby, and so the two of us had turned the job interview into a mini roadtrip.

Beaver was rustling noisily in said bushes, looking for sticks and twigs. We managed to capture two photos of him before he spotted us.

Instead of running away, as beavers are wont to do, he cautiously approached us. Using sticks, we managed to coax him into Dani’s little car, and he settled happily into the miniature backseat, gnawing ferociously on a small tree limb we’d placed in the back just for that purpose. Something to remember – beavers are suspicious creatures, but if you are quiet, speak kindly, and offer sticks, they will follow you wherever you go.* And that, my friend, is how we befriended our beaver and brought him home with us to live in Baltimore.

the senoritas

Mom, can we have Dunkaroos?

What makes us desire junk food so much? Aside from a reward system as a child (therapists can weigh in here), it’s an addiction, a terrible need for processed sugar and chemicals. It’s horrifically unhealthy, and incredibly common. Katie and I love this book called Skinny Bitch. Don’t let the title scare you away, one of the first things they mention is how the title was created to sell books, not to in fact be a bitch. And for all you gentlemen out there, they now have a book for men called Skinny Bastard, including, among other things, how diet can affect your ding-dong (their words, not ours).

The book tells the reader to be vigilant, and not trust anyone when it comes to your health and diet, whether it be a doctor, friend, whatever. Gather knowledge, then form your own conclusion. Read often. And never say never. Experiment, use common sense. If you’re eating a lot of garbage and chemicals, it seems reasonable there might be inexplicable results, such as migraines or autoimmune disorders. If you’re a victim of migraines, depression, or low energy— take a look at what you’re eating.

So the point of all this: read the book. It’s really funny and interesting to the person who exists on a 21st century diet.

here is a list of things you should do not do on valentine’s day:

1. don’t drink too much before your date.

2. don’t set yourself on fire while romantically lighting candles.

3. don’t forget to check the flowers for spiders.

4. don’t serve your significant other something to which they’re allergic.

5. see above. don’t disregard #3 or this will happen:

steer clear of the above, and you’ll have a happy, romantic, and safe valentines day!

love,

the senoritas