¡Mira!

» I saw a marvelous documentary today, 180° South: The film follows adventurer Jeff Johnson as he retraces the epic 1968 journey of his heroes Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins to Patagonia. That's pretty much it, except it has gorgeous cinematography and I want to get the sound track. The first review on IMDB says "If you enjoy watching smug jerks thinking highly of themselves; it's for you," but fortunately the other reviews are closer in line with my feelings. I'm also a big fan of Yvon Chouinard (and his company, Patagonia), and think what he and Doug Tompkins are doing is more than admirable.

Here, have a song from the movie: Journey from the Past, by James Mercer.

» Speaking of Patagonia, what panties/knickers do you like? I loved Victoria's Secret high leg briefs for years, but they keep changing them and each change was for the worse. Now the fabric is so thin that I literally put my finger through it -- not at a seam, right through the material, and in a newish pair. So fuck 'em.

The only alternative I've found that I really like is Patagonia's Active Hipster but Jesus, look at the price! I buy them on sale, but that happens too rarely. They're great for traveling; you can wash them out at night and they're dry by morning, plus they're super comfortable. But the price? Man, as much as I support Patagonia's mission, that's too much for one pair of tiny knickers. What do you wear (and love)?

» Interesting (to me) article about Is Mobile Affecting When We Read? The answer appears to be yes, it certainly does: as devices become more mobile, it’s not only changing where we read, but when.

» For the soup recipe I gave last night, I linked to Cut 'n Clean Greens, which are excellent. The soup recipe doesn't use an entire bag, though, so I use the leftover greens in this recipe which I found on the Cut 'n Clean website, Creole Mustard Greens:
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 (1-pound) bag Cut `n Clean Greens Mustard Greens
2 pieces thick, smoky bacon
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium red onion, chopped (about 2 cups chopped onion)
3 tablespoons low-salt, non-fat chicken or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons Creole mustard (or sweet, hot, chili mustard)
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon Creole spice mix (no-salt variety if possible)
1 teaspoon vinegar

I modify the recipe a bit: no pecans because my husband can't eat nuts; the bacon I use is peppered turkey; and I use whatever kind of greens I have, not just mustard greens. For Creole mustard I use Coleman's hot, and for the Creole spice mix, I use Tony Cachere's, which is really spicy, yum.

Toast pecans on a cookie sheet in a 350-degree oven for 5 or so minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Turn oven off.

Rinse mustard greens, drain in a colander and place in a microwave-safe container with a lid. Micro cook on high for about 7 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Remove from oven and set aside. (7 minutes is too long since I'm using just a bit over half the bag, or maybe my microwave is more powerful than theirs. Anyway, five minutes is enough.)

Meanwhile, in a 12-inch non-stick skillet or wok over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove bacon from pan and lay on a paper towel. When cool, crumble and reserve.

Add olive oil to the bacon drippings in the skillet and heat. Add onion and saute over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, until softened, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and saute for an additional minute.

To the garlic-onion mixture, add broth, Creole mustard, honey, Creole spice mix and vinegar. Add cooked mustard greens and stir to mix well. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 6-7 minutes more, until leaves are tender. Garnish with crumbled bacon and chopped pecans.

Serves 4. Even though I'm using less than a full bag, I keep the other measurements as is. Really spicy and good, especially with warm bread.

» Today is my husband Webster's birthday; he is 61 years old! He's lost most of his hair, and his beautiful red beard is now snow white, but his eyes are just as green and his humor just as side-splitting as when we first met in 1977. I was standing on a third-floor balcony and saw him across a parking lot. I thought to myself: that is the most handsome man I have ever seen. And now, all these years later, he's still here and still handsome.

*Attributed to Jonathan Swift