Literacy-opoly

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." -Dr. Seuss

Rather than sitting on my rear all summer, I decided to apply to a writing institute that is part of the National Writing Project. The program focuses on improving our teaching, as well as providing us time to write ourselves. I was accepted, and class begins on Monday.

The first project is a literacy portfolio. The only guideline was to represent what makes us literate, which is basically what we read and write. I was inspired by a post on my favorite blog, Weddingbee (Yes, I still read it, even though my wedding was nearly a year ago). I decided to make my own twist on Monopoly, and Literacy-opoly was created.

Following the directions on Weddingbee, I found a Monopoly template in Photoshop. I renamed the properties after my favorite books, grouped by authors including Barbara Kingsolver, Ann Tyler, Amy Tan, William Shakespeare, Beverly Cleary, and Judy Blume. The railroads became magazines that I read. The utility company and waterworks turned into my two jobs in journalism. The community chest squares were renamed after the schools where I have worked. The chance squares became choices I need to make in the future. It took some figuring out, but I managed to replace the traditional images with my own.

A special thanks goes to Bee Kim of Weddingbee for the idea, Mark at Kinkos for printing it out so quickly for me (and for the lecture on compressing Photoshop files), and my husband for helping me glue it to a foam board. Actually, he came up with the plan and I did the work, so it's not exactly perfect, but I'm pleased with the final product.

On the board, I included the quote from Dr. Seuss' Oh the Places We Will Go. As a teacher, this is one of my favorite lines, and I found it completely appropriate for Literacy-opoly.

I am looking forward to sharing my portfolio with the class. Wish me luck!

Sex and the City

It nearly killed me to wait for a week, but I went to see the highly anticipated Sex and the City last night. It was just plain fun. The plot wasn't spectacular, the acting wasn't stellar, but the characters and their friendship were incredibly satisfying. And the clothes ... fabulous. Let's just say that, hands down, made the movie.

This is an event for friends. Last Thursday, a group of girls dressed up as their favorite character, hit the town for dinner and drinks, then took a limo to the midnight release. The woman who told me that story said it best: "Now that's the way to do it."

I took the low-key route, joining a girlfriend one week later, although I did stock up on plenty of candy and sodas to sneak into the theater. We sat amidst groups of women, from their 20s to 50s, a few brave husbands with their wives and a cute pair of old men at the end of our row. It may not be an Oscar-winning movie, but it brought women together to celebrate their own friendships, something that I think is incredibly important.

I plan to return again, next time with my mother and brother, two people who will appreciate the blend of friendship and fashion. Perhaps we will toast with cosmos or a new pair of shoes or just enjoy being together for one great movie.

pizza, pizza

I have another confession: I love Rachel Ray.

Okay, I cringe when she says stuff like "yum-o" and "EVOO." But the woman taught me how cook. When I first moved in with my future husband, I made baked chicken and spaghetti with jarred sauce. He would take one bite and say, "This doesn't have enough flavor." I got the hint and started watching the Food Network. Rachel's recipes always appealed to me for their ease and relative healthiness. But it's the taste that wins out. Even my picky husband approves.

One of my favorites is her chicken thai pizza. It's my go-to dish when I have guests over for dinner. This quick crowd pleaser has substance and flavor. My husband, who has been surviving on frozen dinners and leftovers lately, was excited when he discovered that his favorite pizza was coming out of the oven.

Another plus is the flexibility of Rachel Ray's recipes. Most require the basics of a well-stocked pantry, but if I'm short on something, it usually doesn't matter. My beansprouts went bad and I didn't have a cucumber, but that wasn't a problem. I added matchstick carrots and threw on a few handfuls of green onions, along with the cilantro. It still turned out tasty and delicious. Enjoy.


Rachel Ray's Chicken Thai Pizza

1 pizza dough, any brand
1/2 cup duck sauce or plum sauce (I have used both)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 package (2 cups) shredded provolone or Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 rounded tablespoonful peanut butter
2 teaspoons hot sauce
2 teaspoons grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning) eyeball it
4 chicken breast cutlets, 1/2 pound
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or cider vinegar
1/4 seedless cucumber, peeled and cut into matchsticks
4 scallions, chopped
1 cup bean spouts, a couple of handfuls
Palm full cilantro leaves, chopped
1/4 cup chopped peanuts, 2 ounces

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Form pizza crust on pizza pan or cookie sheet. Top with duck or plum sauce - spread it around like you would pizza sauce. Sprinkle the pizza with some crushed red pepper flakes then top with cheese and peppers. Bake until golden and bubbly, 15 to 17 minutes.

Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Combine vegetable oil, soy sauce and peanut butter with hot sauce and grill seasoning. Use the microwave to loosen up peanut butter if it is too cold to blend into sauce, 10 seconds ought to do it. Add chicken and coat evenly with mixture. Let stand 10 minutes then grill chicken cutlets 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until firm. Slice chicken into very thin strips.

While chicken cooks, mix honey and vinegar and add the cucumber. Turn to coat evenly.
Top the hot, cooked pizza with chicken, scallions, sprouts and cilantro. Drain cucumbers and scatter over the pizza. Garnish pizza with peanuts, cut into 8 wedges and serve.

The name game

I admit it - I am a Meg Ryan fan, and one of my favorite movies is "You've Got Mail." I love the part when she speculates about the screen name of her mysterious email partner, NY152.

"His address ... no, no, he would never do anything that prosaic." That is, in fact, the origin of the name, and the following look on Tom Hanks' face is priceless.

At the risk of sounding prosaic, I selected the title of my blog from my new address. This house was a rushed and difficult decision, but I am happy with it. My husband ... not so much. Where I see charm, he notices the flaking paint, the rotting floor, a roof that needs to be replaced. The repair list - including any updates - can potentially be endless, which is a bit overwhelming. Thus, the "blues."

For example, we found termites in our house two nights ago. I just spent 15 minutes with our Terminix guy, who reassured me that while we may have termites (ew!), that is just normal for the area and the season, and luckily we do not have an active full-blown infestation. He blamed our loose floorboards and rotten porch on age and water damage. Welcome to New Orleans.

Our house is less than perfect, but I suppose that's life. We will take our aging but cute home and make do, termites and all. If anything, it will keep us busy and it will certainly keep things far from prosaic.

One small step ...

Today was a big day. I took my first step into cyberspace ... I signed up for a Facebook account. Which may not seem like such a big deal, but that small foray into the 21st century gave me the courage to take my second giant step forward and start my blog.

I set up this blog nearly a year ago when I first moved to New Orleans. I had planned to post a few entries on the city, cool restaurants, and just daily random events of my life. But I lost my nerve. I am married to an extremely cautious man who doesn't even regularly check his e-mail, much less post traceable information where anybody and everybody can see it. His paranoia rubbed off on me. I didn't need to write about my life on the Internet.

I have to thank my husband's stepmother for changing my mind. When I mentioned to my husband that I was thinking of a Facebook account, he immediately opened up his cell phone and dialed her number. She is very knowledgeable about technology and explained that it was a way of social networking while being in a public place, like a shopping mall (an appropriate analogy for me) where I can go to a private room, if I'd like. But what she said next stuck in my mind. I would someday like to become a writer, and as a writer, I have a responsibility to share my writing, to get my name out there.

Being a responsible person, I am here to do my duty: a Facebook account and my first blog. Two small steps for anyone else, but that's two giant leaps forward for me.