Zucchini Pancakes

So I made this delicious Zucchini Bread batter, but had a problem with the oven smoking me out of this small apartment. I left the batter in the fridge, determined to clean the oven this morning and bake the bread as planned.
Well, I am not being paid to clean ovens, and frankly do not enjoy it. I decided to try using the batter as pancake batter instead and my god! Yum. I just cooked one zucchini bread pancake and it was really filling and really really good. I made the bread a reduced guilt version as well... using less oil and yogurt and fat free sour cream. I have tons of batter which will probably last me a few weeks, so maybe should host a brunch.
Anyway, I highly reccommend trying this. I am sure it would be tasty for most quick breads. It is not as light and fluffy as a pancake. The texture is really good though, not tough or chewy, but also not overly bread like or sweet. I just ate it plain, but it would probably be really tasty with raspberry jam or fresh berries.

I didn't really follow a recipe, but looked at a few for guides.

Zucchini Pancakes

3 cups all purpose flour (i bet 2 c white and 1 c wheat would be good and heartier tasting)
1/2 sugar
1/3 c dark brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 eggs beaten
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/2 c fat free sour cream
1/4 c yogurt
3 cups shredded zucchini
1 tsp vanilla

1. Combine all dry ingredients in mixing bowl
2. Combine all wet ingredients in seperate bowl.
3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well for a minute. Add zucchini. Mixture will be quite thick.
4. *Heat skillit on medium and melt small amount of butter. Add spatula size of batter and cook as a pancake.

*I'm not sure if leaving the batter overnight in the fridge caused any sort of reaction that made for better pancakes...

Eat and enjoy!

Post Script

The only problem is with the way they pack the pint. (And by pint, I mean quart).
Everyone knows that that when you get two flavors you do your best to pack them side by side, not one on top of the other. Geez. This is common ice cream packing procedure.

Busy busy....

I thought things would be slightly less hectic after Laura and Andy's wedding, however it seems that the opposite has proved true. Dogs, plants to be watered, pruned, picked and eaten... interviews to hold and walks... and walks... and walks.
The good news is that the week has been beautiful. Dog watching is not only fun because of the animal, but fun because it forces me outside for long periods of time. I discovered parts of the city that I never would have. Like Herter Park offering Shakespeare and Shaw through September 16 at a beautiful outdoor amphitheatre.
Busy is good though, so I keep telling myself. And busy leaves for less time to ponder over the ever present 'what should I do with my life' questions.
Right now I am living royally in a place I could never actually afford on my own. A lovely small Back Bay apartment with a beautiful, sweet and lovable dog named Mia. Today she found a bra of mine, and has torn at it as her new favorite toy. I never wore it much anyway. And I feel much closer to her because of it...
I attempted to make zucchini bread tonight, nearly smoking the dog and i out of this small apartment. I need to do some serious oven cleaning. Damn. I get to sleep in tomorrow and was hoping to have some zucchini bread for breakfast.

Bryan and I went to the annual Cambridge International Festival, ie, the Caribbean festival, on Sunday. Quite good times. We watched a totally cool, all girl, brass Haitian Afro rock band. We also watched pre teens in small outfits shaking what their momma gave them. Serious ass movement here. If I had a genie and three wishes my second wish (after #1, " Genie, I want to be able to sing the blues...") would be to be able to shake my booty like that. Still working on my third wish, but I do feel good to be prepared.

Perhaps my third wish would be to have an endless supply (and endlessly unupset stomach because of it) of my new most amazing favorite combo of ice cream Ginger and Black Raspberry Chip from Christina's.

Oh My God.

Flickr

Does anyone really understand how to use Flickr? Because I can't really figure it out.
So, I have this long term project of putting travel pictures on there to share with the two people that might be interested... also added some wedding photos from the weekend.
Anyway, what am I doing wrong? Anyone willing to give me a tutorial in exchange for , I don't know, some tomatoes or something? I don't think it should take me this long.

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So I walked from Harvard Square to Back Bay to feed the ugly-cute toothless, claw less, hairless cat named Belle... to find a bitchy roommate on the stairs outside saying she had already fed the alien being because "it was so annoying". I can see why Heather wants to move out.

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Something needs to change in my life.

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Listening to CocoRosie and I love it.

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Cinematic Orchestra coming to Boston Sept 25!!!!

Alone

ineededthis.

And now that I've eaten...

I will dare to reflect on the perfect weekend that was Laura and Andy's wedding.

I know I have the ability to sound truly cheesy and sentimental. Whats so wrong with being optimistic and in love with things as they are? Anyway... they wed and we all are better for it!
I am so glad to have had the chance to spend some time with my sister before the"big day".
Thanks to wonderful friends of ours we were able to enjoy massages and pampering. We were calmed and beautified on Friday in preparation for the arrival of family and fun activities of Saturday and Sunday.
Walden pond was beautiful. My first time there, and now have such a need to return. We ate well Saturday evening, drank with friends in Cambridge on Saturday night and slept semi well in preparation for a ceremony that exceeded my expectations.
All sisters probably say they have never seen a more beautiful bride, but truely I never have! Laura was stunning. Before, during and after. She shone with happiness, nervousness and love.
Their vows were heart felt.
Their love is real.

For someone like me, a cynic to the idea of everlasting love and an "other" in completeness... I was definitely swayed.
I guess weddings are meant for that. To share the loving optimism of a few people who want, rather than need, to be together, through it all.

In any event, I know that Laura and Andy are blessed by whatever it is that blesses beings... be it their friends and family or some other, higher force.

And the best of it is that I get to hang out with their dog for a few weeks while they go to our neighborhood in the north. Canada.

There is much to write on...

But mostly I must share this evening moment because I haven't been able to experience this happiness in far too long (for a girl like me who used to live on these moments...).
I am housesitting in a beautiful woman's beautiful house. I am drinking wine and listening to Bessie Smith sings the Blues on record, and what a difference that makes....
I just made a delicious meal and even though no longer have an appetite to eat much of it, enjoyed so much the process of the creating. Especially with the instructions of Julie to eat the massive amounts of garlic, zucchini and tomatoes from her garden that have taken over her home.
If I must!
And I will even embarrassingly admit that it took me a while to recognize the garlic, in beautiful long stemmed form in front of my eyes.... What? No giant pre packaged elephant bulbs from Trader Joe's?



Spinach Linguini with Fresh tomatoes, garlic and zucchini

2 tbls extra virgin olive oil
3 heads fresh garlic chopped
1 medium zucchini chopped
4 large fresh tomatoes
salt and pepper
dash white wine vinegar


Boil water for pasta and cook for 9 minutes, al dente.

Heat olive oil and add chopped garlic til brown. Add zucchini and cook for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and simmer for another 5-10 minutes on reduced heat. Add vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with Parmesan in large serving dish with sourdough and wine.

Yum diggity.


And the Orange tabby Michael is so lovely as company. A pet-me whore. I love him and his unembarrassed need to be touched.

So I didn't go to ballet class...

Though it was my intention to. I was going with the expectation of the lovely woman Anna with her beautiful piano accompaniament from last week and instead was face to face with a tall thin grumpy man in tight spandex, gripping a casette tape. After fighting off images of Larry, my instructor from college, in shiney red tights I decided it was best for me to slink away before class started. I had only eaten a banana and juice all day, and was sufficiently grumpy yet unhungry because of it.

Instead though, the saint that is Bryan offered company in my confused, distracted hunger driven state. We got some Thai food (Penang Curry with vegetables from Pepper Sky, better than green curry but still no Rod Dee) and sat on his roof while the sun set into a beautiful (though slightly too reminiscent of autumn) night.

And I just rode home and ate half a pint of blueberries that taste suspiciously like candy and am now leaving blue finger prints on my white keyboard.

And drivers suck. I nearly got killed 8 times on my ride home because of idiots driving cars.

(Maybe I should actually put that light I bought for my bike two months ago on my bike. It doesn't have the same effect from the inside of my bike bag.)

Favorite person of the day:

Amelia
because she is beautiful with curls and energy and zest for life and she is and not afraid to be passionate.

Least favorite person of the day:

(Myself, maybe?)

Food, Wine and Music

So there are those people that know all there is to know about wine, and know exactly which bottle to go with which flavor. While I've tried to understand the pairings, my palatte is limited, often due to my lack of interest consuming anything formerly of breathe. Most of the combinations of the wines I love, (ahem, that is, anything reddish in color) seem to go really well with meat... and still I enjoy them. Most vegetarian dishes seem "best consumed with" with a white wine, which unless is a hot summer day, is not my first choice.

Anyway, this is not my point. My idea is that there should be a new specialization of wine sommeliers whose job it would be to pair wine with music. Specific music... some album that is obscure and beautiful and created as if to go with the bottle. And maybe there can be some appetizer or something around for accent purposes, but have the focus be on the experience of wine and music, both living breathing and deserving of adoration! A new tasting room concept restaurant! You go out for a nice date in some dark, heavily red, curtained place and have a listening booth where you choose a wine, and they bring you the appropriate appetizers and then play for you the music that must be paired with the bottle!

Tres romantique,non?

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J'espere dormir mueux ce soir que la nuit passee!

I woke up at 3:00am to use the restroom, and tripped and fell over the plant and giant tupperware box that Meg considerately left in the middle of the hallway, directly next to the bathroom. So, I return to bed, highly annoyed and cannot fall asleep. My mind is racing with the upcoming wedding (isn't it the bride that is supposed to be restless?), my job, my life, my loves, my many many faults.... it is not good. By 4:24 I am still awake and decide that perhaps I am hungry and in need of juice. I get said sustenence and browse myrecipes.com. I find some delicious sounding recipes for black bean veggie burgers with spicy cucumber and red pepper relish, some fun peace and blueberry deserts and some table decorating ideas.

And then I decide I should go into catering.

And then I decide I should buy a one way ticket to Paris because I watched Amelie for the millionth time and for the millionth time fell more in love with the idea of Paris... ( and all the recent parisian movies... ratatouille, science of sleep, paris, je t'aime...). And the recent email remembrances of my own Paris lovestory.

"We'll always have Paris!"

Maybe I should start studying French, not Spanish, oui?

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Dinner Plans?

I bought so many veggies and fruits yesterday in the hopes that I would be able to cook for people. So, come over for dinner! I made a delicious corn/blackbean/avocado/tomato salad with spanish onions and parsley (and probably some other things) which I have been eating in vast quantities on top of herbed salad greens. Yuuuuuum.

Today, I bought fresh dill and cilantro. Silly purchases seeing as I have no one but my little unhungry self to cook for, but I love love love farmer's markets.

So come on over! I will feed you well.

Pet sitting

For those of you who don't know, I pet sit pretty regularly and love love love it. Tell all your friends and check out my new dog blog! (Call me lame, but I think pet owners will love it!)

The Dog Blog.

Dreams

I was leading a tour through the forested bush of northern Russia during the summer. My group and I stopped to camp. I sat with one of my group members and started to build a fire, eventually beginning to cook rice. We heard a rustling in the tall grasses which made us nervous, but soon the rest of the clan was with us in a circle all cooking, chatting and reliving adventures of the day. A giant bear appeared as if from nowhere and began attacking the group. People were running and screaming and we were trying to delegate calm to our group. My friend, the older pudgy man in baseball hat and Reeboks was the first to be attacked. He found his way to a ditch screaming where the bear could only inflict surface wounds. The camp was ablaze from scattered ashes and burning food. The trip was ruined.
Flash forward and I am calling this member to check in on him. We talk like old friends and he brings up all that he missed on the trip. I try to make light of what happened and ask surely he will travel again. He replies never.
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Not applying any great meaning but this was more vivid than anything I've dreamed in a while. The jungley green and river flowers were spectacular. The aftermath of guilt and responsibility were so distinct. Our flight over the land was inspiring... deep jade green covered in pools of ice clear water with deer and moose running underneath us...

Why am I not dreaming like this every night?

Health Care

So I haven't had health insurance since August 12, 2005, which is very close to two years ago. Other than the strange green tonsil fungus I grew for a week while in EnZed and the two toenails that I lost in the Andes, I've had very few health concerns. Now Massachusetts has passed a law that requires all adults to have health care and even offer semi reasonable plans for low income folks such as myself.A step in the right direction. What they have also done is passed a law for businesses, mandating that they provide a health insurance option to full time employees. Again,this seems progressive in our country and another step in a good direction. I met with my boss today to review my new options and realized the glitch is that the kind of insurance that a small business can provide, at least the one that I work for, is nearly twice as much a month as Commonwealth Cares. So why not just sign up with CC you ask? Because now that my employer provides an insurance option I am no longer eligible to enroll with CC.
I can't really afford either plan, but I have the feeling that I am actually getting quite screwed.
And if I continue sans insurance, I get screwed at tax time, slapped with something like a $300 fine. This is at least slightly cheaper.