rustles in the straw

I'm back! with a magical treat!

2013-04-20T15:11:00.002+01:00

Wow. It's been much too long--15 long months since I last posted, in ecstasies about Edinburgh. Since then, we moved to Durham, England (another ecstasy-inducing place, though of a different sort), and now back to the States. It's bittersweet--familiar, and "home," but without the things (and people!) we grew to love and appreciate in the UK.

But life goes on! and sometimes much too quickly, I might add. For those frenetic days, you can plan ahead and start out on a smug right foot. These overnight steel-cut oats are fantastic. and nutritious. and, best of all, insanely simple.

Right before you go to bed before one of those crazy days, take a small saucepan and fill it with 1/4 c. steel-cut oats and 1-1/2 c. mixture of water/milk (I use 1 c. unsweetened almond milk and 1/2 c. water). Bring to a boil. Add cinnamon to taste and about 1-1/2 c. fresh, chopped strawberries, turn off the heat, and put on the lid. Then just walk away. Go to bed! It will be perfectly cooked when you walk into your kitchen the next morning, and taste like strawberries and cream (the flavor reminded me of this strawberry dumpling recipe... but with no added sugar and the high-protein filling power of oats)--MAGIC.

Don't be deceived by the no-frills appearance. I'm operating on a web-cam here! (By the way, I had already eaten about half of it by the time I snapped a picture--1/4 c. of dry steel-cut oats goes a loooonnng way!)

It is absolutely delightful and keeps me full for hours. Do your crazy-day-self a favor! Who doesn't want to feel like a magician first thing in the morning?!

Notes: In this warmer weather, I prefer my oats at room temperature, but you could also simply turn on the burner the next morning for a few minutes to heat them through. Also, the above is for a single portion, you can double or triple to share--a great option for kids in the morning (especially with a drizzle of maple syrup or some honey on top). Ber-man loves them!

P.S. BERRIES AND CREAM!

Why we love Edinburgh

2012-01-24T21:27:00.008+00:00

Some of the reasons why we love Edinburgh, in no particular order:

St. Cuthbert's

Broughton Street

This view of Edinburgh castle

Queensferry

Parliament Building

This quote totally encapsulates Edinburgh for me:

"Sweet Ghosts in a loving band

Roam through the houses that stand--

For the builders are not gone"

--George MacDonald

The poem itself (in its 12 line entirety) is a touch more haunting.

High Street

Rosslyn Chapel

2012-01-16T13:10:00.008+00:00

Last week, we took a rainy trip to Rosslyn Chapel (probably best known from parting shots of The Da Vinci Code). We figured all we wanted to do was stroll around the grounds, and while we were expecting an entry fee for the chapel itself, we were shocked to find that it costs 9 pounds/person to even get near it! We hadn't brought any money with us, so we were all forlorn and disappointment for a few minutes. Luckily, though, the town/hinterland of Roslin itself is gorgeous and, typing from experience here, best enjoyed while eating PB&J sandwiches in the rain. :)

Our single shot of Rosslyn Chapel (sneaked when those manning the ticket desk were looking the other way...)

January moss

We were there!

Sheep

Farm

Field

Peek-a-boo! by Langhill Farm

Edinburgh at Christmastime

2012-01-09T14:59:00.008+00:00

(Nightfall, by degrees)

We had a lovely time in Edinburgh in the weeks up to Christmas. The Christmas market (including a German Weihnachtsmarkt!) made Prince's Street a cozy winter's dream: that romanticism of winter landscapes and scarves and oil paintings of skating rinks and rosy cheeks and cold noses, of Christmases gone by and the cradled Christmas-time memories of childhood. We went as often as we could.

(liebi)

Frankfurter Eck is the BEST

2012-01-07T20:45:00.006+00:00

Frankfurter Eck is a little hole-in-the-wall place of which we simply cannot get enough. We are seriously counting the days until we can go back. Today Pat had some Jaegerschnitzel and Spaetzle. I had Bratkartoffeln (not your average fried potatoes) and Schweinebraten (pork roast in the most succulent sauce). Too bad I don't have a picture of my plate, but Pat's is below. (droooooool....)

Frankfurter Eck is the best. QED.

My New Year's Resolutions Five Years Ago

2012-01-01T23:24:00.000+00:00

I've just spent the last several minutes reading my "contemplations" blog of 2006-2009. Hilarious. I was so funny (in all possible senses of that word, I think, and especially the more negative ones :P).

Below are my New Year's Resolutions for 2007, 5 years ago, for those of you who aren't into arithmetic. I was 16 and a smart-arse. :P Some things don't change (but some things do!). And for that beauty there you just read, the sentence ending with a parenthetical right there, up above this one, just call me Angela Confucius Wagner.

MONDAY, JANUARY 1, 2007

Resolute! This year will be different....!

The trite topic of "I've been delinquent in my resolutions in past years but this year will be different - I will be different !" won't be priveleged enough to appear in the ineffable posts of this blog (as, obviously, it is not true - I am never delinquent in anything). However, I will take the opportunity of condescending to celebrate such a useless holiday (to near perfect people like myself, that is. I am sure you all appreciate a holiday designed to promote self-improvement.) by listing what I think are some excellent reccomendations of New Year's resolutions for anyone striving to be as faultless as, well, me:
1) Exercise at minimum 3 hours per week. This one's always a kicker (for the average person, of course). But soon, with determination, you'll be the kicker. -and left, left, left, kick! right, right, right, kick! Come on you pansies: higher! There you go! We're really burning cals now!-
2) Become fluent in Ancient Greek. (Now you won't be saying "it's Greek to me!" in a tone of bewilderment, but a tone of utter confidence, diginity, certainty, and smugness.)
3) Reintroduce yourself to your spiritual side. Check your horoscopes daily. And the Chinese zodiac. (It's year of the dog, for those who are curious.)
4) Resolve to commit to all commitments - such as this and the preceeding three suggestions.
I wish you all luck on your arduous quest to acquire self-efficacy. Really. I know how much that my well-wishing means to you people. So I offer it wholeheartedly. Don't feel intimated or inadequate - I understand completely. I am inspirational, I know. One day, if you persevere and work very, very, very, very, errr.... very hard, you might become an inspiration to some people (albeit, few and far between - still its something, isn't it?).

This year, I really only have two or three overarching commitments, supplemented, of course, by a myriad of short-term milestones that no one but me needs to know about:

1) God

2) Family

3) School

"Funny," God and Family say, "it's usually manifest in ascending order..."

and that's precisely what I'm hoping to change in 2012 :)

--------

P.S. Don't mind the slightly ribald tone of this post, I've been reading my old bawdy, teenage voice since 11 PM.

What Happily Married Couples Do

2012-01-01T03:42:00.006+00:00

This describes in full detail a realistically happy marriage.

I know from experience--of both joyous application and sad neglect (but more of the former, I hope).

Love you Pattycake!

xoxoxo

Here's to us in 2012 :)

Christmas Cookies!

2011-12-23T04:11:00.008+00:00

And the food posts continue!

But honestly, during the week of Christmas, food is pretty much my life.

These are a nougat-less version of Nougattaler. I used peach and plum jams instead of nougat as, unfortunately, it's not widely available in the U.S. (and especially not in the middle-of-nowhere, which is where I'm at now).

YUM YUM YUM.

The original German recipe is here, though I've translated it below :)

1 c. + 1 Tblsp. / 200 g. butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 c. / 75 g. sugar

1 egg

1 c. / 250 g. flour

1/2 Tblsp. baking powder

1 c. / 150 g. ground nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, pecans, etc.)

Jam for filling

Chocolate for dipping

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, then quickly knead into a smooth dough on a well-floured surface. Roll out the dough and cut into desired shapes. Bake at 350 F / 180 C for 7-8 minutes or until golden. Let cool.

Dip half of the cookies in chocolate. Spread the bottom of the other half with jam. Sandwich the chocolate halves with the jam halves. Let chocolate cool.

(photos Jaksco)

Deutsches Essen!

2011-12-22T04:49:00.011+00:00

How better to celebrate the season of stick-to-your-ribs food than with a German feast?

We used an apple peeler/corer for our mashed potatoes: it's multiple times faster this way. In seconds, the potatoes are peeled and "cored." Plus, potatoes prepared in this manner cook in only about 10 minutes!

We also made schnitzel... mmm. We sliced a pork roast into several thin (1/4") slices, rubbed each with some S&P and strong mustard, then coated each with some panko mixed with some thyme, parsley and rosemary. Finally,we fried them in a bit of olive oil.

Our sum feast! Schnitzel, Frikadellen (sumptuous meatballs), Salat, Rotkohl (red cabbage, prepared in a pressure cooker with some chopped apples, vinegar, and seasoning), und Kartoffelbrei (mashed potatoes).

Frikadellen:

1 onion
2-3 cloves of garlic optional
500 g minced beef
500 g minced pork or lamb
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2-3 T flour
s & p to taste
butter or oil for frying

Chop the onions and garlic finely in a food processor. Mix with minced meat, eggs, milk, flour and seasonings until a thick paste is formed. Shape into balls.

Heat butter or oil in a frying pan on high heat. Place the frikadellen in the hot pan.

Brown for 2-3 minutes on each side then turn the heat down, cover with a lid and leave to cook for 10 minutes or so, turning again, until cooked through.

(photos: Jaksco)

Ginger+Chocolate

2011-12-19T03:13:00.012+00:00

These ginger cookies are bangin'. Seriously.

But add some super dark chocolate to these babies fresh out of the oven, and you've created a one-way ticket to nirvana.

These are simply transcendent, these are. Find the recipe here.

My tips: add half the sugar to the dough, or omit the sugar roll. I've tried both (independently--not together) and from cloying, they become just sweet enough for such a rich topping (mmm). And chilling the dough is essential for a thick cookie with a soft, chewy texture.

O Tannenbaum

2011-12-16T13:19:00.008+00:00

My family is so lucky to live less than 10 minutes away from real wilderness. This year, we were able to cut down our own Christmas tree--a first for both Mr. P and me.

We brought an electric cross-saw and a big handsaw... sorry tradition (and mom), the electric won out!

The snow was a sort of icy creme brûlée--crunchy on the top and powdery smooth underneath.

Momma and our sweet little tree. It's about 6 feet tall.

Timber!

On Family and Fake Snow

2011-12-14T20:40:00.010+00:00

Ah, to be with family at Christmas-time is sublime. :)

Here's Mr. P shaking out cattails. Who needs snow??

Dollar Glen

2011-12-10T12:31:00.003+00:00

We had so much fun hiking through Dollar Glen a few weeks ago. It was nice to breathe the fresh fresh air of the country. Ber couldn't stop dropping and rolling in the leaves every 3 minutes. And the subtleties of asking for a puppy begin!

It's beginning to look a lot like...

2011-12-08T21:49:00.006+00:00

Last week, on our way to Edinburgh's Weihnachtsmarkt, which is near the ferris wheel pictured above, I stopped and snapped two pictures from North Bridge. I thought it would be a cinch to just stitch them together in iPhoto to create a panoramic shot. At least, that's what I set out to do four hours ago. Now, granted, I've puttered around doing other things in the meanwhile, but after installing and uninstalling no less than 5 different programs, I was frazzled and flabbergasted--haven't they come up with an easy way to do this?!?

That's when I finally found this sucker. I shed a tear of joy at the simplicity and quickness of it all. Thank you, Dermandar, for saving my Christmas-loving sanity. The only thing I will have to fiddle with is image size--as far as I could tell, there wasn't an option to retain image size.

In any case, here's the result:

Christmas in Edinburgh!

The Power of Civic Service

2011-12-06T19:41:00.008+00:00

Read this.

Imagine if we had a systematic volunteer response to disasters across the nation. This would save time and especially money. Such civic service need not be restricted to times of disaster, but could perhaps be applied more broadly to boost community morale, national patriotism, and both our states and nation's pocketbooks. What say you? (thumbs up if you read that in your head as Aragorn to the dead Men of the Mountains in LOTR: Return of the King).

Of course the impracticalities of such a venture are many--what if such volunteerism takes away people's jobs? While some are all for the privatization of some government programs (like the postal service) for instance, the same arguments against such privatization may apply to volunteerism. What if we allow privatization of those programs that can be reasonably expected to succeed and consider soliciting volunteers for other sorts of work. In an economy where 8.6% (last I checked) are unemployed, however, I wouldn't necessarily encourage volunteerism on the part of the unemployed. But who knows--perhaps it would provide another venue for networking--a way of bringing people together that normally wouldn't socialize in the same circles--as well as the opportunity, perhaps, to gain practical experience for a future workplace.

All in all, I think that JFK's quote remains relevant--though is often only manifest unidirectionally: we ask always what our country can do for us, but not often enough what we can do for our country. I think that at a grassroots level, all can and need to give back somehow. If we all did, it would be insane. In a good way.

And that concludes my entirely uninformed, but well-meaning, ramblings. Now we'll all get back to our daily grind in a world where little of our fundamental political and social constructs actually changes. ;)

Recalling Warmer Times...

2011-12-05T21:04:00.008+00:00

Today was a creeping cold. It made me long for the balmy weather of months past, especially after flipping through these pictures. These were taken on an outing we had in October. We attempted to hike to the top of Arthur's Seat but had to settle for hiking around it, as the path was waaaay too steep for our buggy (n.b. It's even a Jeep, so it's made for off-roading). To console ourselves, we went to Leith, right up at the tippy-top of Edinburgh, and walked along the ocean.

Ruins near Arthur's Seat.

Running near Arthur's Seat.

P livin' it up in Leith

Oceanfront bench with stone man.

Only a few more months 'til Spring, right? :) I do love so many things about winter, but the chill gets to me sometimes. I think I'll stop being so parsimonious and go turn on the heater....

Mitt Hjerte Alltid Vanker

2011-12-04T20:04:00.006+00:00

I stumbled upon this Norwegian Christmas hymn this week and am absolutely smitten. Something about it is at once melancholy and hopeful and captures the essence of Christmas-time for me: so much joy and renewal at the contemplation of a little baby a long time ago.

The great thing about this video is it includes English subtitles. Okay, I'll stop with the pretext. It's Sissel. Need I say more? :)

I've also found several versions by canticle singers, like Arve Moen Bergset. I prefer his simpler, more traditional arrangement. Then there are the choirs, like the Oslo Filharmoniske Kor. Great stuff.

Most of my mother's family is from Norway, and I've always wanted to learn Norwegian. I just might start with this song...

Mitt hjerte alltid vanker i Jesu fødte rom
Der samles mine tanker som i sin hovedsum
Der er min lengsel hjemme, der har min tro sin skatt
Jeg kan deg aldri glemme velsignet julenatt

Akk, kom jeg opp vil lukke mitt hjerte og mitt sinn
Og full av lengsel sukke, kom Jesus dog her inn
Det er ei fremmed bolig, du har jo selv den kjøpt
Så skal jeg blive trolig, her i mitt hjerte svøpt

Jeg gjerne palmegrene vil om din krybbe strø
For deg, for deg alene jeg leve vil og dø
Kom la min sjel deg finne sin rette gledesstund
At du ble født her inne i hjertets dype grunn

=================================

My heart always wanders where Jesus once was born
There I collect my thoughts into a total sum
There my longing finds a home, and my belief a treasure
I can never forget you blessed Christmas night

Oh, I want to open up my heart and my soul
And full of longing sigh, come Jesus here within
This is no foreign housing, you bought it all yourself
Then I will likely stay, swaddled in my heart

I'll gladly spread palm branches around your crib
For you, for you alone I will live and I will die
Come let my soul find you its true blissful moment
That you were born here deep in my heart's abyss

(Original lyrics found here and English transcribed from the video.)

Goings-on of an Edinburgh Kitchen

2011-12-03T22:21:00.003+00:00

It has been an adjustment learning how to cook again. It always surprises me how, whenever traveling or living abroad, one's palate and style of cooking adapts quite quickly. In this case, however, my actual abilities have yet to catch up. Here are some of the more successful dishes to come out of this emerging Edinburgh kitchen, however.

I made some pesto bread via Mmm is for Mommy. In my haste to devour, I forgot to take pictures after it baked. I love the concept, but next time I'd like to do it with a more crispy/chewy bread recipe.

This is my go-to, eggs in a basket. Easy as (or rather, quite a bit easier than) pie. Take a piece of bread and an egg. Poke out a little circle in the middle of the bread. Give this little circle of bread to the squalling baby nearby. Place the hole-y bread in a preheated, oiled frying pan. Crack the egg into the bread-hole. Let fry on medium heat for 2-3 min. Flip and let cook for a remaining 2 or so min. Voila! Easy-peasy. I love runny egg yolks..................... (this represents my dribbling face at the moment).

This is a roasted carrot and goat cheese salad atop some watercress and arugula. Quite simple: wash and cut the carrots (I don't peel mine), toss inolive oil, thyme, and s/p and roast for 20-30 min. The flavors here are great: tangy, creamy cheese; mellow, sweet carrots; spicy, crunchy salad. Yum.

This is some roasted pak choi (aka baby bok choy) and Brussels sprouts. Similar method: trim and chop the greens, toss in olive oil, s/p, sage, and a teensy bit of both honey and vinegar, then roast for around 30 min. I both toss and roast in the same 9x13 pan. One pre-emptive step against dishes for me, a giant step for my war-zone kitchen. Okay, I'll stop with the terrible mash-up of 1960's catch-phrase and, well, er, me. But it was quite tasty, specially with some tatties (what taters are known as here).

This is a spontaneous learning experience for Ber, who usually hangs out with me in the kitchen. I was cutting potatoes and I made a little star potato stamp for him. Then we stamped tomato sauce onto a paper towel. Yeah, I'm what's known as a hipster mom. snark. But it WAS fun (and did not involve harmful plastics or unfair trade practices, insofar as I am aware).

These are some persimmon chips, via TheKitchn. I sprinkled them with a bit of curry powder and sugar and a teensy bit of salt. YUM! Just slice the persimmons yay-thin and bake them at a high temp until they are toasty. (I always have a wee chuckle about persimmons though... they're sold here under the name "kaki," which is a diminutive German term related to "kacken"... tehehehehe).

Sadly, much of everything else I have cooked has been kind of gross. But I have my eye on a few recipes that promise to change that... so stay tuned. :)

Student, Mom, Wife

2011-11-27T21:56:00.001+00:00

I've been searching in the blogosphere for some inspiration on carrying the stressful and varied hats of new mother, grad student, and wife, and quite honestly, I've come up with very little! I suppose this is so because not so many (female) graduate students begin having children just before or during their studies--but I hope I'm wrong! (Or do I, for their sakes?) What I'm seeking is a bit of solidarity, a bit of the realization that I'm not alone, a bit less of the wide-eyed "yikes!" and the pity and the concern I see in other female grad students when they find out I have a baby. It's difficult spreading oneself between things that one wants to be so good at. Motherhood on its own is oh-so difficult--and also oh-so rewarding--I feel too often that I'm toeing the edges of that wide line of neglect. At the same time, my son doesn't really respond when I try to play with him one-on-one (or is this simply the product of our early attempts at "independent play"?), so I really try to capitalize on one-on-one interaction during mealtimes, baths, and nappy and clothes changes. Writing a dissertation requires focus and stamina, and the longer stretch of time I'm able to devote to it, the better. Though with a toddler phasing from two naps a day to one, that time evaporates like water on hot pavement. Luckily, I have a partner who helps with the baby, taking him all day two or three times a month so that I can work in the New College library on campus. But I feel the biggest toll of this lifestyle is on my stores of patience--where I once had more than enough to spare, I've run quite dry for my husband, my baby, myself. As the holidays approach, however, I'm so looking forward to a reprieve, a time to laugh, love, and remember those closest to us--a time of celebration and courage and joy. And it's those times, I think, that ultimately make it all not "worth it," as that implies pain in the journey and relief in the destination, but rather that strengthen us and change us to enjoy the journey instead of merely enduring it.

Edinburgh Digs!

2011-09-28T20:55:00.000+01:00

Salient Quotes

2011-05-10T17:13:00.000+01:00

Great news! I have been accepted to the University of Edinburgh! Pat is planning on applying as well, as for some reason that school never made it onto his list of prospectives. Fingers crossed!

I also wanted to share two excellent quotes from George Eliot's "Daniel Deronda":

"There is a great deal of unmapped country within us which would have to be taken into account in an explanation of our gusts and storms."

"One couldn't carry on life comfortable without a little blindness to the fact that everything had been said better than we can put it ourselves."

:)

Weekend Getaway in Corpus Christi, Texas

2011-04-25T03:26:00.000+01:00

We had a great time galavanting around Corpus Christi, TX!

We went to the beach, ogled at USS Lexington, a gigantic aircraft carrier-turned museum, and celebrated being a family for TWO years, come tomorrow. :)

Here's the proof.

Ber manning some naval artillery.

Ber bouncing in a bunk. This was his favorite part of the whole thing... I'm pretty sure if he had his way, he would have tested out all 48 triple-bunk beds in the Foc'sle.

He also loved chillin' on the hotel bed--with a nice cold beverage, of course.

Having fun in the Mess Deck Cafe.

USS Lexington: Museum on the Bay

It is seriously HUGE.

Music!

2011-03-26T22:36:00.000+00:00

http://www.muziboo.com/angela1131/music/find-out-the-way/

I love Garageband! :P This is an old anonymous poem that I put to music. My mom and sisters and I have always wanted to sing together, and I consider this the beginning. What say ye, women? Consider this a challenge to begin!

Rock-a-bye Baby or: Adventures in Infant Headbanging

2011-02-25T00:19:00.000+00:00

It all began when we moved to our new apartment. Ber was always aware of the two big black towers but just couldn't quite figure out what they were.

The other day I decided that I simply couldn't listen to the thin music from our laptop anymore and hooked up our stereo.

As the music played Ber looked at me in astonishment and made his way to the speakers. After carefully investigating the towers that now seemed to produce sound he tried to eat them.

After all it didn't taste as delicious as he had dreamed and decided to

......JAM OUT!

Please trust us...neither Angie nor I EVER rocked out like this!!

And yes even babies realize that they are pretty darn crazy sometimes and are embarrassed about it.

See for yourself how Ber was introduced to some good ol' music:

(Please also note the can of ravioli on the table. This was supposed to be my lunch but the thingy broke off and I couldn't open it. There was no can opener to be seen anywhere. I figure that this can represents my desires and that I can't always get what I want!)

And if this wasn't enough...there is more where that came from:

Enjoy the Ber!

2011-02-14T15:42:00.001+00:00

I love the Grammys! Not only were Snooki and The Situation there in all their glory, but Lady Gaga was an egg-yolk and, most importantly, some real talent got its comeuppance.

I love:

-Esperanza Spalding

-Mumford & Sons

-Vampire Weekend

GO MUSIC!!!