1999 Mazda Protege

It's official: I HAVE A CAR!!! 

After a month of stalking Craigslist and Autotrader, I can finally say that I am a mobile human being no longer reliant on parents and public transportation to get places.  What an exciting statement.  :)  My summer of car shopping is finally coming to an end.  I can't say I'll miss filtering through all the shit-tastic automobiles on Craigslist, or calling the sketchy-sounding car owners to set up appointments.  The funny thing about it is that we ended up buying a car from a Turkish couple.  The ancestors would be rolling over in their graves.  Hahaha.  The couple was really nice though.  So hopefully it doesn't turn out to be a lemon.  (Knock on wood)

I'm just happy to have wheels now.  It's so great to know that I don't have to worry about that anymore.  In reality though, it was a good experience going through what I did, because I think it was a life lesson.  I know a little more about cars (granted "a little more" from nothing is still very little), and I appreciate more the fact that I have a car because I know how hard it is to not be able to get around.  And as much as the accident sucked, and paying that hefty lump of money for my ticket sucked even more, I feel like it was a necessary reality check on driving and life in general.  I was really lucky blessed to come out of that mess with no scratch on my body, and I need to remember that every day, and especially every time I get behind the wheel.

I still have yet to finish my online course (or even finish a lesson since a week ago when I got home from camp), but I HAVE A CAR NOW!!!  We can now cross a big task off the to-do-list. 

HB87

June 28th...

I have to admit, I haven't been following the controversial HB87 as much as I should have.  It wasn't until today that I began to read over what the bill actually proposes.  I know what I have heard about it, that it is a racist anti-immigration bill, but I still am not quite sure how I feel about it myself.  But when my friend asked me to go to a rally with her, I thought "Why not?".  I've heard so much about it, and figured, if it really is as racist and unconstitutional as everyone says, I should probably support it, or at least go and learn a little more about it. 

HB87 has been covered in the headlines of the news recently, especially ever since Nathan Deal passed it into effect.  It has become more and more of a reality, and whether I like it or not, it will affect me in some way shape or form.  Obviously though, it will affect me pretty minimally in comparison to others.  I have gotten to thinking and worrying for the children that I tutor at Oasis.  How many of them will be affected and probably relocate because of their status.  I don't know, but I can pretty confidently say that a majority of them are illegal, and even if they themselves aren't, they probably have a sibling who is.  Even for those who were fortunate enough to be born in the U.S. more than likely have a parent who's illegal, and are probably terrified of the upcoming legislation.

Being a friend and mentor of those innocent little kids, it really worries me what this law will do to them.  I honestly imagine that a good fraction of the Oasis population will diminish by the time we go back to school in fall.  Where will these kids go?  Will they have access to a similar tutoring program to help with their education and their future?  Will they be separated from their family?  They're just kids, and their future is already in jeopardy.  So if for no other reason, I went to the demonstration today for those young kids.  After all, they can't stand up for themselves.  They need someone to fight for them.  For a chance to be something.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but hearing the stories of the undocumented high school students broke my heart.  Obviously not all undocumented youth are like these brave teenagers.  Not everyone cares about school, and many aren't necessarily ambitious or dedicated to their future.  But same can be said for youth that are U.S. citizens.  I know my share of people who have no goals or ambition, yet they are allowed to go to college... to get a job... to serve their country.  Yet these kids, even having grown up in the U.S. and identifying as U.S. citizens are barred from these same opportunities.  Even I am unsure of my future.  I don't know what I'll do yet with my life, and feel lost and confused.  Yet as I am spending my years skipping through college, those who are undocumented are stuck at home, even if they have a plan.  Furthermore, what makes them less of an American than I am?  This country is all many of them have ever known.

I'm glad that I went to the rally today even if I'm still unsure about my stance on HB87, because it awoke me from the naivete that I live in, and really made me think and be appreciative of what I was lucky enough to be born with.  I hope that this experience will stay with me always and allow me to be forever thankful for the opportunities that I have and to be compassionate towards those who don't have the same.

Avocado Sandwich

I've always been weary of avocados.  Maybe because it's green or because of the texture.. I don't know.  But I've never given it the proper chance that it deserves.  I guess, though, that my recent experimentation with food has opened my mind, because when Hmart was having a nice sale on avocados, I decided I really really needed some. 

I got four avocados for two dollars!!  I used the first one today in an avocado sandwich, and it was sooo good!  I can't believe that I've been missing out on the deliciousness that is avocados for so long. 

 Anyhow, I'm going to be making up for lost time in the next week using up the other three avocados that I have left.  I'm not sure yet what to do with them, but I'll have to come up with great ways for some quality bonding with my new best friend.  :)  I'll probably use them in some kind of baking as a butter substitute.  Maybe make some guacamole?  The options are endless, and I can't wait to try out new things with this wonderful fruit, or vegetable, or whatever it is.

Organic Blue Agave, etc.

カステラ

Castella has been one of my favorite oyatsus since I was a kid.  So I decided to take a crack at it.. see if I can make it, you know?  I randomly googled a recipe because I couldn't find a straightforward one on Foodgawker, and ended up with this one.  I found one on ためしてガッテン (which seemed more legit) but wasn't really feeling like converting from grams to cups.  Next time, I think I'll try the other one though, to see if it's better.

I made them in cupcake form because I didn't have a cake pan.  It worked out, but I think it's better in cake form.  Also, I put too much flour in it because I was worried about the consistency of the batter (it was really runny, but I guess that's just what castella batter is like) so the cake ended up being a little too packed rather than the fluffy spongy texture that it usually is.  It turned out well though, and something that I could definitely make again.  I'm loving the fact that I will no longer have to buy overpriced castella in the store whenever I'm feeling a kick of nostalgia.

Thrift Store Finds!

I went thrift-storing yesterday, and found some fun stuff!  I ended up getting three things:  a medium-sized whisk, a hanging organizer for papers and magazines, and an embroidery hoop!  I'm especially excited about the latter two, because they'll be great for some crafts that I have in mind.  The best part?  I spent a total of about $5 on everything.

Cilantro and Lime Chickpea Salad

Let me just start by saying, I ran a 4 mile race today!  Woooo.  I'm quite proud of myself for this.  :)  I've realized that I really do like waking up early and exercising, because it feels so damn good knowing that it's only 9am and you've already accomplished a bunch and still have the whole day ahead of you!  Now I just need to keep up the good work so that I won't die in 2 weeks when I do the Peachtree. 

Anyway, to the main point of this post..  I made Cilantro and Lime Chickpea Salad today!  (Much better than what I did with the other half of my chickpeas the other day.  --See Falafel)  The recipe came from Heather's Dish (via Foodgawker, of course).  This was one of the first Foodgawker recipes that I flagged, and wanted to try it out because it looked so easy, yet so good!  I mean, can you really go wrong with cilantro?!

I didn't have chili powder so I had to nix that ingredient, and was also missing garlic cloves, so I had to use garlic powder instead.  Anyways, with the ingredients that I did have, I got to dicing and chopping, and before I knew it, my Chickpea salad was complete!

Mixing it up...

Final product!

I did notice a few things about the recipe that I would change for next time though.  There was definitely no need for that much oil.  Same could be said for the lime and dijon mustard.  Maybe half or quarter it?  I think my taste buds are a little bland, so that may be why I say this though.  The sugar could be eliminated completely, because I didn't feel like it really did anything for it, so why add empty calories? 

Overall though, I have to say it was quite the success and a healthy, easy, and delicious recipe!

Ingredients:

• 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 4 loosely packed cups fresh spinach
• 1/2 onion, chopped small
• juice from 4 limes
• 1 bunch of cilantro (about loosely packed cup)
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated on a microplane
• 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Recipe:

1. Chop the spinach finely.
2. Add the chickpeas, onion, and spinach to a large bowl.  
3. In the food processor add the lime juice, cilantro, sugar, mustard, garlic, chili powder, and olive oil.  Process until it comes together into a dressing (about 30-45 seconds).  
4. Pour over the chickpea mixture and stir to combine.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Let sit for about 10 minutes on the counter or overnight in the fridge to let the flavors marry.  Enjoy!