meatless monday: lunch

Hello, and happy meatless monday to you!

Ever since school started, I've been pretty obsessed with lunch. This is most likely because I like to plan my life around food.

When it comes to "going meatless" one day a week, I've been trying to make that an all-day thing (so, not just dinner. But probably "just dinner" is better than nothing at all...). Today, I'm enthralled with these tasty-looking, lunch-possiblities:

Apparently, it is the 40th anniversary of Chez Panisse, and man, did they throw a delectable shin-dig! These little bites would be perfect in my lunch box...

Or, how 'bout an open-faced sammy with brie, apples and arugula?

But seriously. Can I ever turn away from anything with avocado in it? No. So, obviously, this one from Real Simple is calling my name. 

What about you? Do you have a favorite meatless sandwich combo?

mod musings

The other day, my sister-in-law and I were talking about our fashion styles, such as they are. We tried to condense our philosophies down into a couple of words: hers became "preppy-bohemian" and mine was "tomboy-librarian-ballerina".  I have been thinking about adding to it, adjusting maybe. I've been thinking about becoming more mod these days. This wonderful clip from BBC series, The Mighty Boosh, is my inspiration.



Doesn't it just make you want to be king/queen of the mods? (I may be obsessed...just a little.)

What about you? What's your fashion philosophy? Can you sum it up in a couple of words?

book talk: spiritual/philosophical memoirs

In the midst of all the other books I'm reading (or, ahem, am supposed to be reading...I'm looking at you, Guide to College Writing Assessment!), I have begun yet another. It is what I would call a spiritual/philosophical memoir. I guess. Jake and I are reading this new book together:

So far, it is a very engaging read. The author's style is thoughtful, in a rambling-sort-of-way, and he avoids getting too deep about ontological ideas by throwing only glancing blows at them. And then, a seemingly absurd mention of hamburgers. Or beetles. It turns out, it's a cheeky journey through philosophy and spirituality that lands strategically-placed declarations woven together with witty banter between the author and imagined college philosophy professors. So far, pretty good. 

I can't talk about spiritual memoirs, though, without giving a shout out to my favorites--books that have taken me on a journey, with their writers, through unknowing and finding, through encounters with mystery, through sacred personal experiences.

 Travelling Mercies by Anne Lamott is honest, irreverent and hilarious. Her un-religious experience with Jesus feels refreshing and, well, real. I can't ever recommend this book enough. 

Another funny, smart and interesting journey is Elizabeth Gilbert's in Eat, Pray, Love. I use excerpts from this whenever I teach a unit on memoir, because it's broken into highly digestible chunks, and because it's so darn good. 

I've never liked the title of Lauren Winner's Girl Meets God. In fact, I pretty much cringe every time I say it. Not like it's a necessarily bad title, but because I don't think it encapsulates--or even gives an idea as to--the depth of honesty and intellectual complexity of Winner's journey from agnostic to Orthodox Jew to Protestant Christian. Also, contrary to what the title might imply, it's not written for an only-female audience. Everyone can, and should, read this book. 

I could probably go on and on (Thomas Merton! Sara Miles!, Dorothy Sayers!), but I'll end with another brilliant writing-mind: Annie Dillard. Holy the Firm made me cry, smirk, ponder, and smile. It is poetry and memoir and spiritual journey all in one. I recommend this one to anyone who isn't sure if they like poetry, or to anyone who wants fodder for contemplation.

What about you? Do you have any favorite spiritual/philosophical memoirs? Lay 'em on me!

Meatless Monday: sneaky meatless

I have to confess: I have been having a lot of fun trying meatless dishes! (especially since I've decided that desserts totally count;) Last week I made these lentil fritters, and man, let me tell you...they were so satisfying, I forgot they were meatless! Thus, the lentil has become one of my "sneaky meatless wonders"--if I want to feel full, I cook with them.

Another sneaky meatless wonder is the beautiful and aptly named graffiti eggplant:

I use 'em in eggplant parmesan, which is a lovely comfort-food, which also happens to be meatless. 

What about you? Do you have any meat-substitutes that satiate? What are they?

Five Gratitudes

Happy Friday, everyone! Here's what I am grateful for today...

1. I'm grateful for morning coffee and conversation with my hubs.

2. I'm grateful that it is scarf-and-sweater weather at last! (my favorite)

3. I'm grateful for weeknight hang-out time with friends involving olives. And maybe sangria, too. But definitely olives. 

4. I'm grateful for stretching.

5. And I'm grateful for breathing. (seems like they should go hand-in-hand, but I have to remember both...so that makes me like this cool sign all the more!)

What about you? What are you grateful for today?

book talk: date night inspiration

For one of our recent date nights, Jake and I watched a fascinating documentary about reclusive "outsider artist," Henry Darger.

His work is so delicate and vividly imaginative, I almost couldn't tear my eyes away from the film for one instant.

At one point, the narrator mentions that Darger had a habit of collecting images from the newspaper, flyers, even the trash, and pasting them into phonebooks. He turned phonebook after phonebook into fantastic collage volumes. This got me thinking about my own love of collage and sketching/doodling--something I do, "when I have time..." So, like, never these days.

One of my favorite journals to use when I find the time, and just need a shot of mindless creativity, is Wreck This Journal, by Kerri Smith.

I also love Lynda Barry's work--it's so cool! One of these days, I'm going to figure out how to use What It Is as a required text in my writing classes. 

What about you? Do you have any favorite guided journals, or just fun, creative books that inspire you? Do tell!

Five Gratitudes

Well, the week is pretty much done. So much has happened, been accomplished, and flown by at lightning speed, it's time to pause. Time to reflect a little bit on what I am grateful for. Time to breathe deep breaths. (I've sucked at breathing all week...)

And, since I usually assign a list of five gratitudes to my students, I have compiled a list of five as well. :)

1. As exciting and great as this week has been--first classes! meeting students! new campus!--I am so, so grateful for the weekend.

1. I'm grateful for my lovely new (to me, anyway) campus.

1. I'm grateful for my friendships with my mom and sister, and I'm grateful that they both came over for a wine-down (winding down with wine, of course) the other night!

1. I'm grateful for my incredibly generous mother-in-law, who is gifting us with a beautiful new bed (and for my equally generous father-in-law, who is delivering it tonight!). 

1. I'm grateful for a cozy, Friday-night-in with my hubs. 

What are you grateful for today?