So, I came to a decision today. It was laziness more than anything else. But I decided I'm not going to wear any makeup this week. That might sound incredibly banal, especially coming from someone who doesn't look like she puts a lot of thought into her appearance to begin with, but I have been finding myself getting more and more preoccupied with stupid things lately, like worrying about the straightness of my hair or the length of my eyelashes, and it strikes me that I could save time and mental energy by just taking a vacation from thinking about all that for a while.
The experiment is as follows:
1. From now (including today--I'm proud to say I was able to walk around in public today without any makeup on) until the end of the week, I will not wear any makeup, which includes lipstick, eyeliner, mascara, or colored lipgloss (I still have to allow myself lip balm in this weather though). I don't wear eyeshadow, foundation, or blush (or glitter, or kajol, or ash, or any other special womanly stuff that I don't know about) and am not planning on starting to now.
2. I will also not blow dry my hair because it's getting damaged, and I'm kind of liking its wavy texture these days.
3. I will limit my "getting ready" time to 10 minutes in the morning (showering is separate). It's actually pretty easy to time--the cd/alarm clock in my bathroom has a disc with two songs that pretty much add up to 10 minutes: "Bohemian Like You" by the Dandy Warhols and "Gold Digger" by Kanye West. So when those two songs are over, I've got to be done.
Ho : No time over the week will be saved; I will continue to feel exactly the same about makeup's importance in my life.
H1 : My impression of makeup and perhaps even of my appearance without it will be altered.
Again, I know this is stupid. Maybe that's part of the point--it's so stupid, yet I think about it anyway. Hopefully this is the beginning of some necessary reprioritization.
What should I be prioritizing? Well, draft 3 of the play that's opening in April is probably a good idea. And draft 1 of the new play I want to work on is another. Also, I'm working on a sketch revue that will hopefully be going up shortly so I need to put together some sketches for that.
In short: writing comes first. Everything else falls into line after that--except makeup. That shouldn't be part of the equation for a while.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Dessert Recipe #2: Raspberry Shortcakes
When I started this blog last Fall, I wanted it to be a warehouse not only of my incoherent ramblings, but also of some of my favorite dessert recipes. You may remember the crepe recipe from a few months back (I need to learn how to tag things--as soon as I do, that'll make the recipe aspect a bit easier). It was very easy and very versatile. Crepes are, indeed, one of my favorite dessert options.
What you may not know is that my favorite dessert in the world, in THE WORLD, is Strawberry Shortcakes. I don't know if its because I still associate them with a cartoon I liked in my childhood, I don't know if it's because the name sounds so inherently wholesome, or if it's because the combination of fruit, cake, cream, coolness, and warmth is complete perfection. It could be all three.
Anyway, the last few weeks have been a bit draining emotionally as I work towards the next phase of my life. So, I decided to slow things down today and cook a bit. And, I decided to attempt my favorite dessert because baking in of itself is relaxing, and if it worked out, I'd have a delicious treat. Ain't nothing wrong with that. The dessert was an unabashed success on every level (except that I didn't have strawberries, just frozen raspberries--which was really more than adequate as a replacement):
I opted to make little individual shortcakes so that I wouldn't have to worry about my dessert getting soggy--if I were cooking for a large group (e.g. what I need to do on Thursday), I would have made one large shortcake.
Here's the recipe (from Better Homes and Gardens, 2002, probably THE BEST cookbook out there for any novice chef):
Strawberry (or in my case, Raspberry Shortcake...from here on out, just assume you can substitute fruits):
Ingredients:
6 Cups Sliced Strawberries
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 Tsps Baking Powder
1/2 Cup Butter (1/2 cup=1 Stick, by the way)
1 Beaten Egg
2/3 Cup Milk
1 Cup Whipping Cream, whipped (recipe for that is below)
[This is somewhat consolidated--for the real deal, pick up the book]
1. Take your fruit and a 1/4 cup of your sugar and combine them, then put them aside.
2. Take your dry ingredients (flour, your remaining sugar, baking powder) and combine them. Let the butter soften, and add it to your dry mixture until crumbly.
3. In a separate bowl, combine your egg and milk. Then add that mixture to the flour mixture from step 2 until you get a slightly moist dough.
4. For your whipped cream: take 1 cup of whipping cream (not whole milk, not half and half or table cream--you need whipping cream), 1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons of sugar. In a chilled medium sized mixing bowl (just toss a bowl in the freezer at the start of the process), beat the three ingredients with an electric mixer on medium until soft peaks form. For me, that takes about 5 minutes.
5. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. For individual shortcakes, take heaping tablespoons of dough and put them in rounded spoonfuls on a baking sheet. Then flatten them a bit (not less than 3/4 of an inch). Bake 10 minutes, or until golden.
6. When the shortcakes are done, cut them in half so that you have a top and bottom. Put a heaping spoon of whipping cream between the top and bottom--then put a layer of your raspberry compote on top of that. Then repeat on top of the whole thing (this should be intuitive--if not, see the picture above to get a sense of what it should look like).
7. Enjoy, then brag to your friends and family about the delicious thing you just created. It's easy, fast, and so very tasty.
What you may not know is that my favorite dessert in the world, in THE WORLD, is Strawberry Shortcakes. I don't know if its because I still associate them with a cartoon I liked in my childhood, I don't know if it's because the name sounds so inherently wholesome, or if it's because the combination of fruit, cake, cream, coolness, and warmth is complete perfection. It could be all three.
Anyway, the last few weeks have been a bit draining emotionally as I work towards the next phase of my life. So, I decided to slow things down today and cook a bit. And, I decided to attempt my favorite dessert because baking in of itself is relaxing, and if it worked out, I'd have a delicious treat. Ain't nothing wrong with that. The dessert was an unabashed success on every level (except that I didn't have strawberries, just frozen raspberries--which was really more than adequate as a replacement):
I opted to make little individual shortcakes so that I wouldn't have to worry about my dessert getting soggy--if I were cooking for a large group (e.g. what I need to do on Thursday), I would have made one large shortcake.
Here's the recipe (from Better Homes and Gardens, 2002, probably THE BEST cookbook out there for any novice chef):
Strawberry (or in my case, Raspberry Shortcake...from here on out, just assume you can substitute fruits):
Ingredients:
6 Cups Sliced Strawberries
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 Tsps Baking Powder
1/2 Cup Butter (1/2 cup=1 Stick, by the way)
1 Beaten Egg
2/3 Cup Milk
1 Cup Whipping Cream, whipped (recipe for that is below)
[This is somewhat consolidated--for the real deal, pick up the book]
1. Take your fruit and a 1/4 cup of your sugar and combine them, then put them aside.
2. Take your dry ingredients (flour, your remaining sugar, baking powder) and combine them. Let the butter soften, and add it to your dry mixture until crumbly.
3. In a separate bowl, combine your egg and milk. Then add that mixture to the flour mixture from step 2 until you get a slightly moist dough.
4. For your whipped cream: take 1 cup of whipping cream (not whole milk, not half and half or table cream--you need whipping cream), 1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons of sugar. In a chilled medium sized mixing bowl (just toss a bowl in the freezer at the start of the process), beat the three ingredients with an electric mixer on medium until soft peaks form. For me, that takes about 5 minutes.
5. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. For individual shortcakes, take heaping tablespoons of dough and put them in rounded spoonfuls on a baking sheet. Then flatten them a bit (not less than 3/4 of an inch). Bake 10 minutes, or until golden.
6. When the shortcakes are done, cut them in half so that you have a top and bottom. Put a heaping spoon of whipping cream between the top and bottom--then put a layer of your raspberry compote on top of that. Then repeat on top of the whole thing (this should be intuitive--if not, see the picture above to get a sense of what it should look like).
7. Enjoy, then brag to your friends and family about the delicious thing you just created. It's easy, fast, and so very tasty.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Inventory
Okay, so this is what I did today:
1. Looked up and applied to some internships in DC, New York and Chicago. So now, wherever I spend my summer is completely up in the air--a little spooky to be honest.
2. Did my taxes. In fairness, because I don't have a lot of issues like student loan interest or property taxes or having to pay a nanny, and because any of my potential itemized deductions are way below my standard deduction, doing my taxes is ridiculously easy. But still, they're done, and a good 2 months early, so I go girl.
3. Cleaned and then dirtied the kitchen. I can't help it. A clean kitchen, though it looks great, is just too easy to want to cook in. So I made some fettucine alfredo with spinach and chicken. Tasty, but now I'm logy and don't want to clean again. At some point I'm going to throw in the towel and just go out to eat.
4. Called my company to discuss the status of a reimbursement that they still owe me. It's been 10 months since I initiated the reimbursement process. I'm not kidding.
5. Wrote the arc of my play. --> This is the part I haven't done yet but hope to shortly. It's getting there. I keep saying that, and it's true. But I wish I were actually at the "there" part, not the "getting" part.
By the way, I can't believe I'm moving in six months. It sounds like a long time, and it is in a way when I think about how slow time seems to pass these days (it's winter in Chicago--the fog was so thick today that I woke up and immediately thought someone draped a huge white sheet over my building, I couldn't see outside at all).
But, I so need to focus on getting myself prepped and ready for this move, for this paradigm shift. However, I made great strides yesterday by rooting for the NY Giants to win the Superbowl which, everyone knows, they did in spectacular fashion. I am not a football person. But the spectacle of the last 3 minutes (and to some degree, really, the last 10 minutes of the 4th quarter) was compelling even for someone like me who doesn't know what a "down" is and why people have to advance down the field or any of those other nuances.
I was incredibly happy when the Giants won, like a possessive-fan type of happiness even though I'd only been a fan for maybe a few days. But their win was meaningful to me, which I think tells me that I might possibly potentially be ready to become a New Yorker, even temporarily.
Anyway, someone sent this video around recently and I think it's one of the best things I've ever seen. Every theatrical experience I explore must aspire to be at least partially this amazing. I can only hope.
Acting this good has to have a home on my blog: it's from "The Room", a vanity project by Tommy Wiseau, the black-haired lead who says "I did not" with facial expression usually only seen on hungry babies. Head to YouTube for more clips...you know you want to.
1. Looked up and applied to some internships in DC, New York and Chicago. So now, wherever I spend my summer is completely up in the air--a little spooky to be honest.
2. Did my taxes. In fairness, because I don't have a lot of issues like student loan interest or property taxes or having to pay a nanny, and because any of my potential itemized deductions are way below my standard deduction, doing my taxes is ridiculously easy. But still, they're done, and a good 2 months early, so I go girl.
3. Cleaned and then dirtied the kitchen. I can't help it. A clean kitchen, though it looks great, is just too easy to want to cook in. So I made some fettucine alfredo with spinach and chicken. Tasty, but now I'm logy and don't want to clean again. At some point I'm going to throw in the towel and just go out to eat.
4. Called my company to discuss the status of a reimbursement that they still owe me. It's been 10 months since I initiated the reimbursement process. I'm not kidding.
5. Wrote the arc of my play. --> This is the part I haven't done yet but hope to shortly. It's getting there. I keep saying that, and it's true. But I wish I were actually at the "there" part, not the "getting" part.
By the way, I can't believe I'm moving in six months. It sounds like a long time, and it is in a way when I think about how slow time seems to pass these days (it's winter in Chicago--the fog was so thick today that I woke up and immediately thought someone draped a huge white sheet over my building, I couldn't see outside at all).
But, I so need to focus on getting myself prepped and ready for this move, for this paradigm shift. However, I made great strides yesterday by rooting for the NY Giants to win the Superbowl which, everyone knows, they did in spectacular fashion. I am not a football person. But the spectacle of the last 3 minutes (and to some degree, really, the last 10 minutes of the 4th quarter) was compelling even for someone like me who doesn't know what a "down" is and why people have to advance down the field or any of those other nuances.
I was incredibly happy when the Giants won, like a possessive-fan type of happiness even though I'd only been a fan for maybe a few days. But their win was meaningful to me, which I think tells me that I might possibly potentially be ready to become a New Yorker, even temporarily.
Anyway, someone sent this video around recently and I think it's one of the best things I've ever seen. Every theatrical experience I explore must aspire to be at least partially this amazing. I can only hope.
Acting this good has to have a home on my blog: it's from "The Room", a vanity project by Tommy Wiseau, the black-haired lead who says "I did not" with facial expression usually only seen on hungry babies. Head to YouTube for more clips...you know you want to.
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