Banned Books Week 2012

One thing I hate is when "the man" is trying to censor what I read, write or watch.  Am I not an adult and can make my own decisions? Shouldn't I also be the one to censor what my child reads or watch?
This is what Banned Books Week means to me.  Exercising my First Amendment Right:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."


I did skim through the books listed on Censored books and I will admit that my teen has read a large portion of the books listed but that was OUR decision.  
A book is not going to change her.  
After reading Huckleberry Finn, neither of my children went around calling people niggers.  
After reading Harry Potter they did not practice wizardry.  
This is OUR decision to make.
Exercise your right and ye to the library!

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek

http://childrensbooks.about.com/od/censorship/a/Book-Banning-Censorship-Of-Kids-Books.htm



http://childrensbooks.about.com/od/censorship/a/bannedbooks.htm

Gentlemen Prefer Bimbos

Often times I have my children read a book for our literature class or because it won an award or it was highly recommended.
Many times it starts out with a book they do not like from beginning to end.
Other times, they get to the middle of the book and they are already on our local library's website looking to check out other books from the author.
I decided if I have to "make" my children read selected books maybe I should too. A very funny author suggested the book Gentlemen Prefer Blondes by Anita Loos.
I am half way through the book and I can't like it.  All the spelling errors is driving me BANANAS.  Every time I come across one, I have to read the sentence and try to understand what she was trying to say.
Do "gentlemen" just prefer women who are so unintelligent that they feel good about themselves?

Please forgive my misspellings and grammatical errors from this brunette. :-)

Platanos...For the Dominican in Me

Yesterday I spent almost the entire day going through my wallet.
Dividing receipts. Shredding the ones I didn't need.  Shredding cards I no longer use.
We carry so much in our purses and wallets and it just seems to drag us down.  Physically and mentally.
I thought maybe that was the reason why I have had such a hard time sleeping.  Money is always an issue for us.
My husband is a high school math teacher and we barely survive with his paycheck.  Never mind the furloughs.  How about the fact that his Godsend of a check comes once a month.
One thing it has taught me was to be a saver.
Not like hoarder but a money saver.
We recently joined Costco after a 5 year break from them.
Smart and Final is across the street from me but prices have gone up slightly and they no longer sell bulk items in foods I normally buy.
Things like coconut milk, beans, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and other canned goods is now sold individually.
That just doesn't work for me.
I'm shelling out more money and more visits to the store.
Our first day back at Costco came with a nice surprise.
They sell Morning Star and other similar products very well known in the vegetarian/vegan community.  They sell tofu now by the case!
My heart is happy and I know I'm saving some money.
They don't have everything I need so I will still visit Smart and Final for some fresh produce Costco doesn't sell and Whole Foods for my nondairy cheese, etc.

Yesterday I introduced my family to baked maduros (yellow plantains).  I haven't had these in a long time and was very happy that my most picky eater loved it.

Maduros Asados

6 medium/large yellow plantains

preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
cut a 2 inch slit in each plantain and wrap with aluminum foil.
bake for 40 minutes.
peel the plantains and arrange them on a serving platter.
drizzle with this....

Garlic Dipping Sauce

6 peeled garlic cloves
1 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt

add everything into a blender or food processor.
store, tightly covered in the refrigerator.

You will have plenty left over.
Store the leftovers in the fridge and use it tomorrow as a dipping sauce for other platanos.

REPOST! Sofrito and Quick Bean Stew

September 15 is the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month.  I will be doing my part here at home to cook more meals from my parent's home countries.  It is very difficult for me to do here in California since so many ingredients I grew up here are not readily available to me.  Also so many of the dishes I grew up eating had meat as the main dish.  I will be doing a whole vegetarian spin on all of the dishes.  Many I came to terms with not eating again.  Of course, everything with fish and all the meats available.

Yesterday instead of buying the sofrito at the Cuban store, I went and bought the necessary ingredients for recaito.  It took some figuring out what I could and couldn't use.  I couldn't use Italian frying or cubanelle pepper but instead used a poblano pepper.  Instead of using sweet chili peppers (ajitos) I went for red, yellow and green bell peppers. I could not find recao leaves so I used a bunch of cilantro. 

If anyone has the readily available to them, please send me your seeds.  I would really appreciate it.

Basic Recaito

1/2 medium yellow onion

1 Italian frying pepper or Cubanelle pepper

2 garlic cloves, peeled

3 sweet chili peppers or bell peppers or mini bell peppers

3 recao leaves or 3 cilantro sprigs

1 sprig cilantro

1 tbsp olive oil

cut and remove seeds from all peppers.

combine all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor.  

Refrigerate or freeze in 1/4 cup batches.  Good for stews and beans.

Vegetarian Bean Stew

(habichuelas guisadas vegetariana)

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup Recaito

1 cup tomato sauce

2 cups water or vegetable stock (I like to use the stock to give it more of a nutritional value)

1/4 lb calabaza (West Indian pumpkin or whatever you can find) Peeled and diced.

1 cup alcaparrado (a mix of olives and capers but it does boost its flavor but if it's not your thing it's OK to omit)

2  cans of beans (black, pinto, kidney) drained and rinsed

1 tsp black pepper 

heat the oil in a pot.

add the recaito and tomato sauce and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.

add the stock and calabaza.

bring to a boil and the alcaparrado, beans and black pepper.

bring to a boil again.

reduce and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes

You can enjoy this with rice, quinoa, or alone with some crusty bread and vegetables.

I Am Not Drinking the Kool-Aid On Purpose

After almost 30 minutes in the store, trying to figure out which phone will have the privilege to live in my pocket, I went with the iPhone 4.
Only because it was free.
I was loving the Samsung Galaxy but could not afford it.
I had to say adios to Android.
But only for a short moment.
My husband's phone will be up for an upgrade in the new year and he said he would be OK keeping his current Motorola or taking the iPhone and storing the Motorola as a backup.
I'm hoping that one of the Samsung Galaxies will be available for super cheap (read free) by that time.
For now I have to deal with the iPhone.
The iPhone that will not allow me to download my friends contact information from Facebook.    
The iPhone with it's small screen and the heaviness of  free weights.
But I do have my Pandora back. :-)