the lovely bones

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So this reading during my commute thing is really working out. I've read three books in just two weeks. Go me! This gives me time to catch up on books that the rest of the world has already read. Case in point, my most recent read, The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.


The Lovely Bones is the story of Susie Salmon, a 14 year old girl who was the victim of a brutal rape and murder in December 1973. The book is narrated by Susie, looking down on earth from her 'heaven.' She goes over the details of her murder, the inspection that followed, and how her family was affected and changed after the tragedy.

I think this book is worth the hype, unlike so many others. If you haven't read it yet, you should. It is quite disturbing at parts, but so is real life. It is unlike any other book I have ever read. Albeit, I haven't read that many books. If you read it, what did you think?

pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes

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Today is my sister's birthday- Happy Birthday sister!

We had a little shindig at her place last night and I offered to bring two delicious varieties of vegan cupcakes (the recipes are from Vegan Cupcakes Invade the World). I attempted two of the recipes and only one turned out...this never happens to me. I was driven into a baking failure induced depression. I attempted to make the apple cider cupcakes (which sounded absolutely delicious) but they were a complete and utter failure. How horrendous. I choose to blame the altitude rather than any fault of my own.

Well, I somehow got out of my funk and made it to the party with my one batch of cupcakes in tow. It was a fun party and I hope my sister has a wonderful birthday!


pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes (vegan!)
makes 12 cupcakes

1 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup oil (i used canola)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners.

In a medium bowl, stir together pumpkin, oil, sugar, soy milk, and vanilla. Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir together with a fork - don't use a handheld mixer, as it will make the batter gummy. Once well combined, fold in the chocolate chips.

Fill liners two-thirds full. Bake for 22 to 24 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let fully cool before icing.

cinnamon icing

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons margarine, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add the margarine, soy milk, and vanilla and stir with a fork until smooth. Keep at room temperature until ready to use. The mixture should look opaque and honey brown. If it's glistening a lot or looks too liquid, add a little extra confectioners' sugar.

To Assemble: Take a small plastic sandwich bag and cute out a tiny hole in one edge or fit a pastry bag with a small-holed decorating tip. Fill the bag with icing and pipe it out as you wish. Let the icing set at room temperature or refrigerated.



Overall, they were pretty tasty cupcakes. Although they seem more like muffins than cupcakes. Also, many people suggested adding more spices next time, as they are a bit on the bland side. I think I would add a little nutmeg and cloves next time. And there will be a next time! They are a nice fall treat. And if you know me at all, you know that I love fall (and treats).

lush wishlist

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So I don't know why, but I have a sudden obsession with Lush. Maybe it was Kelly's post about how great their products are for travel or Helen's rave review, I'm not quite sure. I pretty much want one of everything they sell, but I've narrowed it down to my (current) top five...



1. Sugar Scrub - perfect for a sugar addict who makes a regular habit of showering
2. Summer Pudding Soap - because I hate germs and love summer fruit

3. Dream Cream - this sounds perfect for dry, winter skin


4. World Peace Bath Bomb - Because who doesn't love baths and world peace?
5. Squeaky Green Solid Shampoo - solid shampoo- what a great idea, and eco-friendly too!

There is only one Lush store in the entire state of Colorado. What a travesty! It's in Boulder, so not too far away, but I guess that will keep my spending in check. Unless of course I order online...

detroit

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Detroit is quite possibly the most depressing place I've ever been to. Now, I didn't grow up in Detroit, just a suburb of the city, but I've spent a decent amount of time there. Every time I enter the city, I'm overcome by a feeling of helplessness. I want to do something, but this problem is so much bigger than me- what could one girl from the suburbs do? Like I said, overwhelming. At times like this all I see are the bad things.

Sometimes it's really hard to see the good in Detroit. But, it's there. It really does exist. This video, which I first saw on The Remains of the D blog, helps me remember that people are doing great things. The kind of things that you can't do anywhere else in the world.

So yes, Detroit is a depressing place, but it's far from a dead city. And if you bother to look beyond the empty and burned out shells of buildings you will see amazing things that are happening. And they are only able to happen because of Detroit's past and the people who are devoting their lives to making Detroit a better place.


Lemonade: Detroit Trailer from Erik Proulx on Vimeo.

Great things going on in Detroit:
I really wish I could be a part of this. Maybe I'll move back after grad school and start raising goats in an empty lot. Until that time, I'll continue to follow Detroit's renewal.

the elegance of the hedgehog

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I have to commute (via public transit) to my second job. The one good thing about commuting is that it gives me time to read. So after one week, I've finished a book! Go me! The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery.



The Elegance of the Hedgehog is set in Paris. More specifically in one building in Paris, no. 7, rue du Grenelle. It's written from the perspective of two of the building's residents: 12 year old Paloma Josse and Madame Michele, the concierge. Both characters feel out of place, like they don't belong in the world they live in. This book is a story of discovering who you are and where you belong.

My top five favorite things about this book are:
  1. It's French
  2. Interesting characters
  3. It made me think
  4. Great dialogue
  5. Great title
Basically, you should read this book. I think you will like it.

Next up: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

pumpkin shortage

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So apparently there is a pumpkin shortage nationwide?


Unacceptable!

We might as well skip fall altogether if there is no pumpkin. I mean honestly! How am I supposed to make delicious fall-tasting treats without pumpkin? I know there are alternatives, but it's just not the same. I'm a pumpkin purist.

I had these big plans to make vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes with cinnamon icing for my sister's birthday (this Friday), but without pumpkin...how am I supposed to do this!? I went to four grocery stores. The first two had small cans that I thought were overpriced and the second two didn't have any at all. Of course, this is before I knew about the shortage, so maybe that is now reflected in the price, but if I have to pay $20 a can- I will! Okay, I wouldn't. But $3 for a 15 ounce can is price to me, but whatever. I'm too stubborn to make something else.

unintentional hiatus

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Well folks, it's been a while since my last post. I've been back in Denver for about a week and a half. My first week of the quarter (last week) was ridiculously busy.


I'm working two jobs and taking two classes. Initially, I was registered for three classes, but after attempting to read my International Law & Human Rights book and having it be what some would call an "epic fail," I decided to drop that course. I'm getting academic credit for my internship this summer so with my two remaining courses I am still going to school full time.

But did I mention the two jobs? Oy vey! Good idea and bad idea. Good because I desperately need the money to pay my ridiculously expensive tuition bills. Bad because I'm going to be so busy I might just lose my mind.

Anyway, I'll try to keep the blog posts coming, but if I disappear for over two weeks...I've probably been sent to a sanatorium.

the history of love

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I finished The History of Love by Nicole Krauss last night. Oh my goodness. It was heartbreakingly beautiful. I read Nicole Krauss's debut novel, Man Walks into a Room a few years ago and enjoyed it and I'm a huge fan of her husband's (Jonathan Safran Foer) work.

The History of Love features three parallel stories. The first is of Alma, a young girl who sets out to cure her m.other's chronic loneliness by finding the author of the book, The History of Love, that she is painstakingly translating. The second is of Leo Gursky, a Polish immigrant who survived the Holocaust and came to America. His story is about the only woman he ever loved and the son he never knew. The third is about the book itself and how it traveled the world changing lives wherever it went.


I highly recommend this book. I felt so many different emotions when I was reading this. It's not often that I feel so connected with the characters in a book, but I did this time and it made reading this book quite the experience. Certain sections are so wonderful that I could read them over and over again and never get tired of them.

I'm looking forward to reading Krauss's newest novel, Great House, which comes out soon, but for now I'll content myself to start The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery.

book lust

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Should I be ashamed that I want to buy these books mainly because they would look great on my bookshelf?

Is it bad to judge a book by it's cover? Because I love these covers and I want them all. Each book features a different pattern designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith. They're just plain fantastic.

I bought Pride & Prejudice from this series earlier this year because it is one of my favorite books, but now I'm finding it hard to resist picking up others whenever I'm in a bookstore (or online!)

tarte aux pommes

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As you know, I went to the apple orchard earlier this week and picked some McIntosh and Cortland apples. These varieties are great for baking so that evening when I got home I made an apple tart from my Julia Child cookbook. This is the first recipe I've used from Mastering the Art of French Cooking and I didn't have any luck with her crust- when I made it it was tough and wouldn't roll out- so I just my dad's standard pie crust recipe and partially baked it before baking the tart to avoid a soggy crust.

I'm no Julia Child, but a girl can try, can't she?

tarte aux pommes (apple tart)
serves 8

a 10-inch partially cooked pastry shell set on a baking sheet
4 lbs. firm cooking apples (julia recommends golden delicious)
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tb granulated sugar

Quarter, core, and peel the apples. Cut enough to make 3 cups into even 1/-inch lengthwise slices and toss them in a bowl wit the lemon juice and sugar. Reserve them for the top of the tart.

1/3 apricot preserves, forced through a sieve
1/4 apple brandy, rum (what I used), or cognac; or 1 tb vanilla extract
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tb butter
optional: 1/2 tsp cinnamon and/or the grated rind of 1 lemon or orange

Cut the rest of the apples into rough slices. You should have about 8 cups. Place in the pan and cook, covered, over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Then beat in the ingredient above. Raise the heat and boil, stirring, until the applesauce is thick enough to hold in a mass in the spoon.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Spread the applesauce in the pastry shell. Cover with a neat, closely overlapping layer of sliced apples arranged in a spiral or concentric circles.

Bake in upper third of preheated over for about 30 minutes or until the sliced apples have browned lightly and are tender. Slide tart onto the rack or serving dish and spoon or paint over it a light coating of apricot glaze. Serve warm or cold.

It was pretty tasty, but I'm partial to a good, old apple crisp/crumble, it's much less labor intensive and my taste buds appreciate it just as much. And I'm far from mastering the art of French cooking, and now that I've gone veg I won't even attempt most of the recipes, but I can still do desserts and veg sides and the like. Expect more recipes from Julia in the future, although I'm not sure how soon since it's back to work and classes come Monday.

apple picking

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Today Joanna, Sarah, and I continued our Autumn fest and headed to Erwin's Orchard in South Lyon for apple picking, pumpkin donuts, and cider. Until today I hadn't been apple picking in so long, probably not since an elementary school field trip or the like.


It was good fun. The perfect fall activity! Jo and I split a peck (such a silly word) of apples and I used most of mine to make an apple tart (post and recipe to follow soon!) this evening.

fall has arrived

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Or so it seems. I hope it has. I really do love fall. It's such a great season.

Saturday morning Sarah, Joanna, and I headed to the Farmer's Market in downtown Farmington, as we have been known to the do in the past.


I really love Farmer's Markets. I find them very inspiring, and although I usually don't buy anything (because I'm not good at planning what I need ahead of time) I do get ideas for what sorts of fruit and veg I would like to use in upcoming recipes.

Butternut Squash!

Anyway, it really felt like fall outside. It was sixty and windy, but the sun was shining and it was really just a lovely day. There were pumpkins everywhere! If there is one thing that makes it feel like fall it's pumpkins.

i live in airports

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Four airports in 3 days. 18 hours of flying. It's too much! I need a nap.


After spending 36 hours in Denver, which consisted of me eating, sleeping, unpacking, packing, and sleeping again before heading back to the airport, which is where I am right now. I'm headed back to Michigan for the first time in 8 months! That's the longest I've gone without going back. So weird, but it'll will be nice to see my friends and family again.

I'm only home for a week (and I'll be in Chicago for 2 1/2 of those days) and there is so much I want to do! Sailing, eating, visiting Greenfield Village, biking to the Farmer's market, going out with friends, seeing family, more eating...oy vey! I hope I can do it all!

Also, I'm going through serious Budapest withdrawals. Can I go back yet?

headed back

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Üdvözlet Budapest (és Szimpla kert)! (Az utolsó alkalommal)


Unfortunately, it’s time for me to head back to the U.S. I had a really great time this summer- I really do love Budapest- and I hope I can come back soon.

Have you ever walked around a city and felt completely content and at ease? That is how I feel when I walk around Budapest. And Chicago. Two very different cities, but I love them both. I wonder where else in the world I would feel the same way.

I’m flying out this afternoon (Wednesday) and after a layover in New York City, if all things go well, I’ll be back in Denver by 10 p.m. I think it will be very weird to be back in America. I know I was only in Hungary for three months, but my life here was very different from in America, and I quite liked it that way. I’d like to find a way to merge the two.

Classes start in two weeks and my routine is going to have to change drastically: one job, three classes, and an internship. I’m going to be one busy girl. Anyone want to take bets on when I’ll lose my mind? Stay tuned for the frantic ravings of a stressed grad student. Also, expect lots of new recipes- baking is my favorite stress reliever and way to procrastinate.

by the danube

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Last night, Beata and I sat by the Danube and said our farewells to Budapest. Here is a poem by József Atilla, one of Hungary's greatest poets, that pretty much suits my current mood. (Did I mention that it's 50 and rainy in Budapest now? The city is mourning our departure).


By the Danube - Attila József (1936)

I
As I sat on the bottom step of the wharf,
A melon-rind flowed by with the current;
Wrapped in my fate I hardly heard the chatter
Of the surface, while the deep was silent.
As if my own heart had opened its gate:
The Danube was turbulent, wise and great.

Like a man's muscles when hard at his toil,
Hammering, digging, leaning on the spade,
So bulged and relaxed and contracted again
Each single movement, each and every wave.
It rocked me like my mother for a time
And washed and washed the city's filth and grime.

And the rain began to fall but then it stopped
Just as if it couldn't have mattered less,
And like one watching the long rain from a cave,
I gazed away into the nothingness.
Like grey, endless rain from the skies overcast,
So fell drably all that was bright: the past.

But the Danube flowed on. And the sprightly waves
In playful gaiety laughed at me again,
Like a child on his prolific mother's knee,
While other thoughts were racing through her brain.
They trembled in Time's flow and in its wake,
Like in a graveyard tottering tomb-stones shake.

II
I am he who for a hundred thousand year
Has gazed on what he now sees the first time.
One brief moment and, fulfilled, all time appears
In a hundred thousand forbears' eyes and mine.

I see what they could not for their daily toil,
Killing, kissing as duty dictated,
And they, who have descended into matter,
See what I do not, if truth be stated.

We know of each other like sorrow and joy,
Theirs is the present and mine is the past;
We write a poem, they're holding my pencil
And I feel them and recall them at last.

III
My mother was Cumanian, my father
Half-Szekler, half-Romanian or whole.
From my mother's lips sweet was every morsel,
And from my father's lips the truth was gold.
When I stir, they are embracing each other;
It makes me sad. This is mortality.
This, too, I am made of. And I hear their words:
"Just wait till we are gone..." they speak to me.

So their words speak to me for now they am I,
Despite my weaknesses this makes me strong.
For I am more than most, back to the first cell
To every ancestor I still belong.
I am the Forbear who split and multiplied,
Shaped my father and mother into whole,
My father and mother then in turn divide
And so I have become one single soul.

I am the world, all that is past exists:
Men are fighting men with renewed anguish.
Dead conquerors ride to victory with me
And I feel the torment of the vanquished.
Árpád and Zalán, Werbóczi and Dózsa –
Turks, and Tartars, Slovaks, Romanians
Fill my heart which owes this past a calm future
As our great debt, today's Hungarians.

I want to work. For it is battle enough
Having a past such as this to confess.
In the Danube's waves past, present and future
Are all-embracing in a soft caress.
The great battle which our ancestors once fought
Resolves into peace through the memories,
And to settle at last our communal affairs
Remains our task and none too small it is.

Translated by John Székely

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