This time last year I was a pile of gelatinous goo. My school had not hired me back, my master's degree teacher had threatened to kick me out of the program and I had two, maybe three people I could count on for emotional support.

THANK YOU GOD THAT THAT IS OVER WITH!!!

It makes since that when you've lived through hell, it provides some perspective. Sweet Jesu, I am so much happier now. That huge emotional weight that was on me this time last year is gone. I am happy with work, I have multiple people I can count on, and the place I live is wonderful.

I'm working on being a happy being single. The huge disadvantage is that when growing up, I was surrounded by women who were married and had kids, so all my models are irrelevant. Similarly, the problem I'm running into is that what most women talk about is family and husbands. Topics of conversation that I can't really contribute to.

I this problem is unique to smaller towns. I've got friends in Portland and New York that say the opposite is the case. They run into people their age all the time and it's rare to interact with the very old or the very young. Hmm... maybe I need to make more forays into the city.

Home Cooked Food

My grandpa worked for 5 formative years in North Africa and brought back that region's wonderfully culinary style. For Christmas we usually babaganoush, hummus and Montlube. Also, we grew up pretty poor so rice and bean dishes were Momma's especaility. Without further transgressions in my culinary heritage, I present...



Pakistani Kima (A simple, cheap, Vegetarian curry!)

Materials:

Canned Diced Tomatoes

1 can or one cup Peas

Large onion

One cup TVP

Minced Garlic

Olive oil

Rice

Yellow curry powder

Instructions:
Cook rice
Soak TVP for 7 min in water, drain excess water
Brown onions (chopped or in strips)with garlic and two cap fulls of olive oil
Put in diced tomatoes juice and all
Put in peas (drained if canned)
Stir in TVP
mix in as much curry powder as possible. I like a little less than 1 Tbsp-- the sauce is slightly
yellow

simmer until rice is done.

Serve with a side of plain yogurt (NOT Vanilla!!!)

A complete, and cheap meal! It lasts me two servings/meals, but I have a big appetite...probably serves more like 4