It's nasty hot here in Spain, and this week happens to be Ice Cream Week on TheKitchn... SO: Frozen goodies!
"CinnaMonkey" Frozen Yogurt
Ingredients:
2 small-medium bananas
1 1/2-2 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter
1/2 c. skim yogurt
1/4 c. skim milk
1 tablespoon of liquid caramel (substitute honey, sugar+vanilla extract, etc.)
A few Dashes of cinnamon
Pinch of salt
Chopped up chunks of dark chocolate
Directions:
Because I'm awesome/a beast, and I don't have a blender, I squished everything by hand with a potato masher, directly in a plastic container. Again, because I'm awesome, I don't have an ice-cream maker, so I put it in the freezer for about 45 minutes, stirred it up again, and left it to freeze for another 30-45 minutes or so. I just kept repeating the process until I thought it looked pretty good--3 or 4 times.
I served it with extra cinnamon sprinkled over the top and a caramel drizzle. For a little crunch, I think some cinnamon flavored kiddy cereal or even some crumbly cookies over the top could be a nice addition. Yes, you're allowed to do it because it's not ice cream, it's frozen yogurt.
This is my adaptation of a recipe found whilst trolling Pinterest. You can find the original here at OhShineOn's blog.
Books
Although I usually don't read nonfiction works, I've recently read two outstanding autobiographies. The first was Just Kids by Patti Smith, and the second was Black Boy by Richard Wright.
Just Kids by Patti Smith 80 greasy grilled cheese sandwiches
The book tells the story of her life with Robert Maplethorpe. Swarms of celebrities--Bob, Jimmy, Janis, Andy W.--and the incredibly chaotic scene of New York City in the 70s provides an interesting backdrop for a very moving story of personal struggles in pursuit of art and self-understanding. The progression of their very unique relationship and their sometimes intersecting, sometimes parallel searches for fulfillment propel the book chronologically and emotionally. I believe I have a better understanding of the human beings behind the iconic images. Both Smith and Maplethorpe are incredibly enigmatic and accessible all at once. The book (and a recently released single) has left me anxiously awaiting the release of Smith's new album Banga.
Black Boy by Richard Wright
I won't rate this because it seems insulting to connect food with a book that so often talks about a person's nearly lifelong, poverty-induced hunger.
This is a very strong portrait of a dark time in American history and a bleak period in a very gifted person's life. Readers can feel Wright's alienation not only from society due to his race, but also his psychological alienation from family and self. Throughout the book Wright has to grapple with crushed hopes and failed communication, being forced into certain roles and accepted patterns of expression, by those around him. You follow Wright's perceptions of others, watching his insight and introspection deepen as he ages. The increasingly sophisticated self-reflection is what makes the narrative so engaging for the audience. A very important, very modern work.
Music
NPR's First Listen has provided me with enough auditory material to fill multiple, longwinded blog posts this week. However, because I'm feeling a bit lazy, I will give a quick gloss of highlights, as a nibble, and leave it to others to decide more once they listen.
Regina Spektor's What We Saw from the Cheap Seats Holy li2uoi4u2o83u4oi1u!
Very, very exciting stuff. I'll be happy when it's released for purchase. Listeners can see that she's still making enjoyable music.
Valtari by Sigur Rós 23153 Viking sized sheep heads
Misty, other worldy. Sigur Rós. It was worth waiting for.
Heaven by The Walkmen 65 cups of ambrosia
Although I don't really understand it, something makes me giggle and think of The Smiths, Deathcab, and Buddy Holly.
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Here 26783 Zero bars
Country folk funk. Fun rhythms, lo-fi sounds. Tambourines. done.
Go out and read a book, stuff your face with something cold, and listen to some cool new stuff.
I realize this post is a bit far from the usual, but I also know that I enjoy reflecting upon my readings sometimes.
As a caution, I want to be sure to explain that I'm not unfairly applying the lens of a different time, these ideas were common enough stirrings at the time of the authors, and even before.
Think Elizabeth Cady Stanton, etc.
Some months ago, I read Anthem by Ayn Rand, and I couldn't shake the feeling that Rand essentially missed the point of her own novel, and a more than suitable platform to express the sentiments of individualism in regards to her gender. Although the individual is to be exalted over the collective, each person's identity derived through its personal expression, the most important female character in the novel mindlessly follows another: a man.
How would a Russian woman writing at the beginning of the 20th century pass on this opportunity to critique the status of women in contemporary society?
I've heard the argument that if individualism is truly cultivated in its purest sense, no one need worry about the gender of the person. This seems rather after-the-fact because this concept isn't expressed well anywhere in the novel, and has to be searched for to allow modern supporters of Rand's ideology to better justify their beliefs.
She, "The Golden One" or Gaea, as she is named by her male partner, then perpetuates her submission through motherhood and the all-intensive grooming of the new generation of what seems to be some kind of uberman. Emphasis on man because woman has now become a birthing machine to help populate the planet with the enlightened ones.
Maybe Rand wanted so badly to be rid of the collective ideals of her society that she chose to ignore the congealing feminist movement. In that case, she was siding with the men's collective. Great.
Jane Eyre is another book that I've read and felt the urge to comment on. I guess my commentary is more of a dialogue of questions than anything.
Why does Jane only find happiness once married? Why must she be attached to a husband and children to be fulfilled? Which is such an other wises strong nature dominated by her creep of a cousin? Why is it that she's only equal to Mr. Rochester once he's blind and left without one of his arms? Are women really so limited as to be essentially "half of a man"? How is her peace only found once Mr. Rochester is almost entirely dependent upon her? Is there no such thing as mutualism? Can exchanges between genders not take place fairly between two "intact" individuals? Again, anticipating that some people would say it's more of a commentary on social class than gender, I'm compelled to ask why? If it's part of the heroine semi-genre so popular at this time, why would the female author, herself and talented sister, from a background in which they were limited due to their gender, ignore the obvious chance to address gender equality through her title character in the same imprisoning predicament? Couldn't she as easily turn the same microscopic eye with which she addressed English social stations to the relations between men and women?
More recently, I must say I was let down by the ending to Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar because it seemed to undo everything the novel had stood for. Although its to some degree a chronicle of a life falling apart, its told in retrospect by a wiser woman who has found herself and stitched everything back together--only to conform. Plath's alter ego essentially ran from male domination into the arms of a husband who subdued her individuality by making her the mother she never wished to be.
Maybe I'm too hard to please, but one of the only female authors who seems to suit my feminist ideals seems to be Toni Morrison. In Beloved and The Bluest Eye, deep psychological portraits of families led by women in deplorable conditions are painted. The characters try to extricate themselves from societal injustices and internal conflicts. Although these women are almost always oppressed, they're never pitiable. You understand their circumstances and enjoy watching them strive for more, confident that they'll succeed.
Authors everywhere: give us real women. Real women of the society in which we live, who won't let us down.
Romeria
The months of April and May often see a number of celebrations in Spanish pueblos dedicated to patron Saints. Local food, wine, and dancing along with an overall carnival atmosphere is quite a sight to see.
I was lucky enough to have my camera with me for the celebration at "La Ermita", the little chapel dedicated to Nuestra Señora de los Remedios just outside of town.
A local dance of by "Los Jateros" was performed. This very old, very traditional dance is entirely unique to my little town. It looks like an interesting combination of European cultures, and--although I'm no anthropologist--I'm going to guess it's probably some kind of gift from the Iberio-Celts.
Thank you ancient peoples of Europe for providing me with colorful fodder for my blog.
Running
Running seems to be going pretty well, when I manage to keep from wiping out. For the second time in the last couple of months, I found myself in slow motion, eating dirt. But all's cleaned up and healing, and I've made the resolve to always wear my contacts when I'm taking the really uneven/overgrown paths around here.
I'm putting in five days each week, with speed days on Wednesday, long days on Saturday, and rest on the T-days.
During the week of rain we had (which seems as though that may've been the only wet period during my entire stay here), I spent my time doing speed intervals jumping rope. I was pleased to find it pretty enjoyable, and surprised at feeling worn out afterward. Kids are tough.
Now that the glorious sun is back, the only unfortunate aspect of my training is that I've been confined to nasty early mornings, or questionably lit dusk.
Reading
Although I am (once again) millennia behind many other readers' material examinations, I'm still enjoying some more classical reads which I think are worth sharing and reflecting upon.
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote 9337495 Jack Whites
So creepy and great. The story unfolds brilliantly. It begins in media res, and offers a number of flashbacks from a swath of historical periods in the lives of many of the characters. It's also told from the point of view of various people in this motley, so you as a reader can begin to discover for yourself, "the ties that bind." Quick, satisfying read.
Ulysses by James Joyce 43080394 Pints of Guinness
Steven returns!
This has been described as one of the best novels of the twentieth century for one reason only: it is. Joyce's almost shocking gift of mimicking the incredible evolution of written English provides great insight into his talent as a writer, but also raises some questions as to who the "real" Joyce is. Fascinating. His way of streaming, blending, and complimenting the flows of thoughts, sights, sounds, and surroundings of his characters while pulling meaningful symbolism throughout the novel is incredible. The motifs and commentary related to modern colonialism is quite complex and still relevant today.
Sherlock...The entire series by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 204072 Robert Downey Jr.s
I've been on some kind of express kick careening through the annals of Baker Street. I'm not really sure why, but I took it upon myself to read the complete tales of my favorite London detective. I haven't been disappointed. The subtle dry humor, and the fun of piecing together the clues has been a pleasant source of entertainment. The best part is that you can pick up and leave off almost anywhere in the series of short stories, or mix in one of the four novels without confusion. The little self-contained accounts make it a nice travel companion.
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison 9 3-penny Mary Janes
What a powerful social commentary. It's Morrison's first book, and you can see her typical fascination with the story of a family through the eyes of its members. Again, as with much of her writing, it can be humorous, difficult to read, and inspiring all at once. It's a short, and very fast read, but it provides the audience with yet another glimpse of why Ms. Morrison is such an important contemporary American author, entirely deserving of her Nobel status. Although Morrison has said she regrets that the book failed in that it touched, rather than moved many of its readers, I can say that I was very compelled by the narrative.
Hooray for Orléans! Hooray for Quizlet! Hooray for finally having enough time to write again!
209384028340 updates in the world. This post will be about some of my recent travels and a useful language learning find. I'll be posting more in the next day or so about my running and reading, and following that, a meh-schmeh grumbly response to some other books.
I recently had the great fortune of seeing an entirely unique region of France: Le Centre. There are the rolling hills covered with vineyards, orchards, and canola fields, and a distinctly different style of architecture from what I've been accustomed to seeing in the south. It has a much more northern Europe/Germanic feel. (And it was much kinder to my skin than the Mediterranean sun.)
Azay-le-Rideau and Chinon
Orléans
My future university!
My language learning tip: Quizlet.
I don't really know why it took me so long to find it, but it's pretty spiffy stuff. You can build and share sets of flashcards with pictures, sound clips of pronunciation, etc. I've downloaded an app, Flashcards+ on my phone that works with the Quizlet platform, so I can use my sets when I'm bored and have some down time. I scouted around for some word frequency sets in Spanish and in French, so I saved a lot of time and sapped off of some other poor soul's time and effort. They have the same for other languages I'm sure.
There are also resources for subjects outside of languages--anatomy, art history, on and on... and for special exams such as the SAT, GRE and so on.
A little article from Lifehacker has some other helpful tips.
So go out and conquer the world with your lightning-rapid response to foreign vocabulary.
