Journey to the center of the earth...

Maybe not to the center of the earth, but the center of the city. It's a whole other world of commerce and hustle and bustle. We went bead shopping because there isn't a Target in miles. There were shoes- lots and lots of shoes. And people- lots and lots of people. Does anyone remember those little glass figurines that were popular in the 80s'? I hadn't seen one in ages-until today. This is the place where products go to die.

Zippers, people with microphones, beaded bracelets, needless things. I saw a cat in a glass display case. It was the most random moment of my day. I did lunch with mom at my favorite and we had a good laugh. We sat down in the most random place to have bread and coke a cola. Recently on the Management Channel (NNEERRDDD) I saw a special on the soda wars- history told from the perspective of a glass soda bottle. How little do we know about this product that we ingest daily in such large quantities.

Apparently, Americans consume 3 liters a month. Imagine if we consumed that much water. I have decided to boycott soda, but am not doing so well at keeping up my end at the moment. The abuses that occur at the hand of these companies are atrocious. We are just mindless consumers to them, we must have the product- the brand- the recognition. They were saying they hoped Russian consumers would respond just as well after the Berlin wall came down. Products are uniform, thus people should be too. Once the product came in, Russian sodas could no longer be found and soda mafias started. Democracy was just masked consumerism in disguise. And just today I saw one of the sport teams sporting Pepsi uniforms. Here, Pepsi isn't even on the menu. Lesser brand- less recognition, less product. Lessons to be learned: products CREATE a need and compete for a limited market.

The depression isn't here yet, but I saw an article in the dailies about tent communities in CA. The modern shanty town was built for all your recession needs. People aren't selling their cars, their living in them. Finally, there is evidence. Favorite article I have seen lately: wrestlers in love. I can't go into detail, but a wrestling couple met at a match and she moved to the slums for him. To love someone that much...

Curry as a metaphor

So, in light of the semi-tarian revivial last night I made curry and it was AMAZING. I felt triumphant, it was a success! The rice was a little undercooked, so were the peas, but other than that I managed to stir up the sweet flavor I was craving and the color was beautiful. It turned out a very warm orange. I thought curry would be more difficult, but I embraced the challenge and was suprised at how easy it was. If my camera had batteries, I would have posted picts. The smell and the heat were comforting. Just looking at it made me happy.

Orange is the color of creativity, confidence, intuition, friendliness and the entrepreneurial spirit. I hope that the universe strengthens those things in me and gives me the courage to change.

Yummy

Coconut Chicken With Snow Peas
From Good Housekeeping

Ingredients

1 cup jasmine rice or long-grain white rice
1 can (14-ounce) light coconut milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 thin slices fresh ginger
2 strips (3 inches each) fresh lime peel
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken-breast halves, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
6 ounces (about 2 cups) snow peas, strings removed
1 tablespoon less-sodium fish sauce
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
Lime wedges

Directions

Prepare rice as label directs.
Meanwhile, in 12-inch nonstick skillet, stir together coconut milk, broth, cornstarch, ginger, and lime peel; heat to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Boil 1 minute.
Add chicken and snow peas to skillet; cover and cook 4 to 5 minutes longer or until chicken loses its pink color throughout.
Remove skillet from heat; stir in fish sauce and cilantro. Serve with rice and lime wedges.
Serves 4.

Courtesy of Yumsugar...think it's dinner for tomorrow!