february thaw

 [roasted veggie, barley, and tahini sauce bowl]

[canopy photos to analyze]

So, I have apparently been sucked into the black abyss of thesis data analyzing and job hunting.

I haven't seen much of Ben lately so I have been eating super healthy veggie girl type food out of bowls all the time.

And things he doesn't like, such as coconut.

I mean, who doesn't like coconut curry ?????

Anyways, we are FINALLY getting some spring-ish above freezing weather here, which only reminds me how many weeks and months of below-freezing weather and snow and ice we have made it through.

My driveway is no longer a four inch sheet of ice, but is now a muddy mess.

I applied to a job in San Diego county.

Things that are ok about winter:

-drinking hot tea and coffee

-Christmas

-being able to leave groceries in your car

-and leaving surplus pots of soup in the outside stairwell

-soup

-oatmeal

-snuggling in fluffy beds with electric blankets

Things that are crappy about winter:

-icy roads that make your boyfriend total his car

-heating bills

-being cold

-chapped hands and lips

-not seeing the sun for weeks

-having to scrape ice off your car every morning

-dark nights

-no farmer's market veggies

Roasted Veggies and Barley Tahini Bowl
Ingredients:
-roastable veggies including but not limited to: sweet potatoes, onions, parsnips, carrots, garlic
-barley (as much as you want)
-couple tablespoons tahini (sesame paste, good to have to make hummus with, and dressings)
-lemon juice
-olive oil
-salt, pepper, random spices
-spinach
-feta

Chop vegetables, coat in olive oil, salt, and spices (allspice is really good on root veggies and squash), and roast in a 400-425 degree oven for about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
Add chopped garlic to the last 10 minutes or so.
In the meantime, cook barley and mix together tahini, lemon juice, water, salt, more spices, maybe another clove of garlic, either with a fork or whisk or in a blender or food processor until you think it is a good dressing consistency.
When the veggies are done, dump together everything and mix in some spinach and feta.


p.s. my presentation went really well! I'm actually excited about how my thesis is turning out, even if it seems endless, and I am not as scared about the future anymore. if I can't find a job, it's not my fault, it's the economy.