Chocolate yearnings

I am very fond of chocolate....it's in the top 10 comfort food categories....unfortunately, the fat content is quite high...for half a bar of dark chocolate, it's approximately 20 grams of fat...yikes...and yet, that is exactly what I consumed today. I guess my mind says that the antioxidant content has a greater impact than the fat content....let's hope that is indeed true.

Charlotte Bronte's Diary

A few days ago,
An exhibition at the Morgan Museum I indeed did visit,
Before I would accidentally miss it,
To get a glimpse of the private lives,
Of famous writers,
And in some instances,
Even their wives.

There was also one of Charlotte Bronte,
A writer back in the 1800s day,
Yes,
The one who wrote about "Jane Eyre,"
About a little orphan,
For whom no one seemed to care.

But remarkably,
Jane managed to grow up
Independent and free,
While still managing
Mr. Rochester to snag,
While in the attic there was an old hag,
Ah, the drama does unfold,
Read it,
To see the moves of Jane
So bold.

I shall give away the ending,
She ends up with this dark and handsome fellow,
Even if only by chance,
Turning this book
Into a truly gothic romance.

Back to Bronte's diary,
There is an excerpt when at a boarding school she was at,
And how much she missed her father, her brother,
her sisters,
And quite possibly even her cat*.

Another excerpt is her writing a short story,
On a cold and stormy night,
Only to be interrupted by a governess or maiden,
Oh, what a fright.

The End.

*if she had one

Cooking (1): Veggie Fritters + Stir Fry

Greetings! After a bit of an absence from my blog (2 mts, 2 days), I am back :) So, first things first, a very Happy New Year for the start of a new decade....2011 :)

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to spend more time in the kitchen. This means not heating a frozen dish or choosing one of the take out menus. No, this means actually cooking. So, I will be keeping a tally of how many times I actually cooked something that takes more than 20-30 minutes.

Today, I made some vegetable fritters. These were made from chickpea flour, sliced potatoes, chopped onions and coriander leaves. I added some water to the mix to make a thick batter; I then fried the batter in sunflower oil. The nice thing about vegetable fritters is that they can be eaten alone, or in a sauce or between a sandwich.

I decided to use some of the fritters to make a stir fry. The stir fry was comprised of the following: a quarter of an onion, one tomato, two tangerines (seeds removed beforehand), and about a table spoon of soya sauce. Last, I added chopped spinach, and then added the fritters (used four of them). Before turning off the stove, I took a small slice of lime and squeezed it on the fritters. Now I plan on eating it with some pasta (the swirly ones....called Rotini).

Below are some pictures for your enjoyment.

-> Here's the 1st batch of fritters or what's left of it.

-> Here's the 2nd batch of fritters, ready to be taken off the stove.

-> The Stir fry (the veggie fritters have been added; can you see them?).

This Year's Halloween - 10/31/10

This year I got into the Halloween spirit....how can one not, when one is surrounded by vampires, monsters, and Lady Gaga and Snooki wannabees.

So I dressed up as a witch, and entered the streets, just like the wonderful Lady Morgana does, when she makes her presence felt in Camelot.....uhhh, anyone remember her from the Celtic Tales of Merlin?

The air was crisp and cold, the leaves where rustling, having turned fall shades of red, gold, and brown, and the wind howled the day and night away.

The Halloween Parade in NYC was wonderful.....the spirit of magic and extra forces came alive, the bands playing on the drums...well, it was quite a show. Of course, yours truly watched only for a bit, then the journey back was a priority, as this witch didn't have a broomstick to hop on to fly over the people....no, she had to rely on human-used transportation, and so made an early get-away, as the crowds became larger and larger, and this little witch didn't want to get home too late. But this witch did take a few pics of costume goers who posed still for a few seconds.

Depeche Mode

Today I wish to pay tribute to Depeche Mode. Their music is inspiring and thought-provoking, especially those songs from the 1980s. I miss seeing those music videos on TV....why doesn't MTV or VH1 air music anymore? Their focus has shifted from music to reality......is this really what the majority of the viewers wants?

So, all I can say is thanks to warnerbrosrecords for posting those "remastered videos" on YouTube. Good for them for sharing such great music for free. I only have to endure a 15-30 second commercial before the start.

One of the songs, dripping with symbolism is Depeche Mode's "Everything Counts" - the theme is about society and greed and corruption. Camera is filming traveling on the roads (or the highway, perhaps) during the day and night, and corporate buildings. Two men climbing up a ladder and possibly trying to throw the other off is what business has come down to. There is a also a beach/outdoor cafe scene, with I'm assuming means people taking a break from the competition.

I wish more music videos would be released today that had a proper story behind it. They say that history repeats itself....here's hoping for 1980s music coming back in "vogue".....(a reference to Madonna's 1980s song ;)

Updates from May - July!!!!

Woahh, I can't believe it's been 2.5mts since I last posted on this blog.....quite embarassing, but I have good reason. It's been mighty hectic, and I just didn't have the energy to log in and type something. But today, Jul 18th is a good day to start once again.

So quick updates on what has happened in the world, where I took an interest or a somewhat remote interest:

i) "Eclipse" was released, and yes, I saw the movie. And yes, I was disappointed in the overall package. The acting was mediocre at best and the storyline did not flow well. The only good performances were by the actors playing Rosalie and Jasper....the rest....sigh. Let's hope "Breaking Dawn" lives up to the quality of the book.

ii) Independence Day - July 4th fell on a Sunday this year. I had the chance to check out the fireworks; view wasn't great, but I did see some sparkle in the sky :)

iii) World Cup was played by many countries, and ultimately won by Spain. Was I surprised that Spain won? No....their winning performance at the Euro Cup two years ago was a foreshadowing of what would happen in 2010. I just want to say that Paul, the German Citizen Oracle Octopus better not be hurt by the Germans. He is only a messenger (i.e., he correctly predicted 8 of 8 results involving the German team, one of which was a loss to Spain). So if the Germans plan on executing him (i.e., grilling & eating him), somebody with a compassionate heart and who has access to him, please send him to Spain for protection.

iv) "The Girl who kicked the Hornet's Nest" written by Stieg Larsson was released. This is the third book of "The Girl..." series, and quite possibly the last. A very thick book, and may look intimidating at first glance, or even at second glance, but hey, don't judge a book by its size. Anyway, I'm still in the process of reading this novel, and hopefully, will be done in the next week or so.

v) FYI - I have done much summer cleaning these last two months - thrown out/given away stuff that I no longer or rarely use, and it feels good to live a bit lighter. Hopefully, my former junk is now someone's treasure.

vi) Finally saw "Leap Year" on DVD...pls note, that was one of my New Year's Resolutions. I can officially put a checkmark next to it, saying DONE.

So that's it for now, until next time.

Poetry Month Finished Two Days Ago

Okay, April is over, meaning poetry month is done. I wrote a total of 24 poems last month (six short of 30)....which technically means 80% completed, which technically means, I still passed :)