this is my attempt to join the blog crazed generation. so i was listening to Clem Snide's song 'Joan Jett of Arc' while i setup this blog and thought it's a great song why not name my site that. here is a taste o' lyrics:
She’d fix me a dinner of sunflower seeds
And ready-whipped topping inhalers
And take me down south
With Hall and Oats in her mouth
My first love,
My Joan Jett of Arc
My black heart was heavy
But her mom’s Cougar was fast
As little pink houses were whistled
And it was all you can eat
At the Sizzler that night
My steak burnin’ Joan Jett of Arc
My steak burnin’ Joan Jett of Arc
i wrote a mass letter last week to my prayer/financial supporters and friends for Word Made Flesh. i wanted to share a few of my interests and so i am going to use it to kick things off here.
BOOKS My love of reading has followed me since childhood when, if allowed, I would stay with my nose in a book all day.
CURRENTLY READING:
Bible. I am at Numbers 20, Psalm 54, Proverbs 11, Mark 8.
Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith, Anne Lamott.
All I Did Was Ask, Teri Gross
LAST 2 BOOKS I FINISHED:
Making Room: Recovering Hospitality as a Christian Tradition, Christine Pohl. an EXCELLENT book, plus I know the author. she is amazing.
The Book of Bebb, Frederick Buechner
WRITING I am currently not writing all that much, but I hope to do more of it this year. I enjoy the written word, but often find that I don’t have much inspiration for creating at the end of the workday, since much of my job entails lots of reading and editing articles and communicating with staff via email. Here’s a little poem I wrote recently as I sat on my fire escape and drank a cup of coffee at the good end of a day.
evening turns more toward perfection
as the light splays its fading fingers
into the glow-core of this tree
say! here is proof
that boys really do talk to their dads
on walks in the neighborhood
passing cars make too much noise
slicing placid air with puffs of sound
smoke, too
old song, another day
folding into more newness still
crescendo now, you ancient refrains
RUNNING OK, OK, maybe it’s more like plodding at times. I am not fast, but I enjoy running and hope it is something that I can continue for a long time. In fact, for me, running has been the partial fulfillment of something that I felt God spoke to me years ago--that I am like a gazelle in His eyes. I started running the fall of 2003, and have been almost-consistently doing it since. I am even a subscriber to one of those runner’s magazine--it helps to keep me inspired. Here are my times in the last two races I ran:
San Diego Rock n’ Roll Marathon (26.2 miles!) - June 2004 5:40:17
Omaha Half-Marathon - Sept 2004 2:18:42
I am currently doing short 2-mile runs, after taking almost 3 months off during the miserable Omaha winter. I am slowly getting back into the swing of things and hope to easily beat my last time in the Chicago Marathon in October. Don’t let me back out.
COOKING I love to cook for my friends and enjoy trying new recipes – send me your favorite if you are so inspired (this is not a chain letter). Many of my favorite recipes have been passed on from my mom, passed on by her mother and so on. Mom is a great cook and I usually call her pleading for advice every time I try something new. This Sag Paneer recipe is probably one of my favorites, given to me by dear friend, Kathy Raja of Clovis, CA.
Creamed Curried Spinach with Cheese (Sag Paneer)
½ c. water
1 lb. fresh spinach, washed, de-stemmed, coarsely chopped (sometimes I use frozen)
3 T butter
1 T finely chopped ginger
½ c. finely chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground cumin
¼ tsp. turmeric
½ tsp. ground coriander
½ tsp. garam masala
1 cup cheese (paneer), cut into 1-inch cubes
the recipe doesn’t call for it, but I also use some red cayenne pepper to spice it up.
Combine ½ of the water and a handful of the spinach in a blender. Blend at high speed for 30 sec. Keep adding spinach until about half is blended. Add a little more water, if necessary, to puree.
In a large skillet, heat the butter over moderate heat. Add the ginger and sauté for one minutes. Add the onions and salt and continue sautéing for 5 more minutes.
Stirring after each addition, add the cumin, turmeric, coriander, and garam masala. Then stir in the leafy and pureed spinach. Reduce heat and cook mixture uncovered, for 20-30 min. Most of the liquid should evaporate. At the last minute, gently add the paneer (I like to make a homemade cheese ever since Lisa Clark and I first made it for Curry Club. It’s easy--if you want me to share this trick just email me). Serve hot with basmati rice.
ok. this day is through. actually this week is through because tomorrow is good friday - remember to remember it and not skip straight to easter sunday.
so now i will really sign off and head to dinner with minde and her gorgeous fam. and steph too. | 
