it's apple time

I spend much of my time during the fall searching for the perfect apple. Living in Utah, where the large majority of our apples come from Washington, the selection, in my opinion, is pretty slim. I know most Washington-ers would have my throat for for saying so, but I just don't love them. Sure, Galas are ok. They're definitely leaps and bounds better than Fuji, Pink Lady, or Jonagold. But when I want to eat an apple, I want it to crunch when I take a bite. I don't want my teeth sinking in around mealy mushy pulp posing as an apple. It should be tart, but not so tart that it sucks your cheecks in (take that Granny Smith!), and sweet, but not so sweet that it loses all semblance of being fruit.

Granted, I've been spoiled by growing up in New York. Cortland and Empire apples are just about the best apples around. They are just the right amount of sweet, crisp, and tart. They're perfect for eating or baking. They make excellent applesauce. And even McIntosh aren't so bad. New York just takes the cake when it comes to tasty apples. So during the past 7 years living in Utah, every trip home became a glutinous apple eating fest wherein I stuffed myself to the brim with Cortlands and Empires.

But then along came the Honeycrisp and the western apple world started looking a whole lot better (yes, there really is an entire website dedicated to honeycrisp. Sweet mother of lust).

Honestly, this is apple is Fantastic. It easily earns the right to join the ranks of Best Apple Ever. It's crisp; it's tart; it's crunchy. It's delicious.

And...it's available in Utah! Finally, something tasty is coming out of Washington orchards!

So as long I'm willing to pay 2.49/lb for tasty apples (which you know I am), I no longer have to endure such misery during apple season.

Praise allah. And the genius scientists at the Universtiy of Minnasota.

A LA GRAN PUCHICA

Read this. Or just look at the headline. Words cannot express the growing gnawing feeling in my stomach right now.

I feel like I haven't posted anything of real interest in ages. Not that I'm going to tonight, but I just thought I'd let you all know that we've lugged all our stuff into the basement and are currently trying to jam our 2 bedroom belongings into a 1 bedroom apartment. I definitely need to make a visit to Ikea. Maybe I'll even have to buy some of those super-organizers that I've never before needed or wanted.

On another note, I would like to entreat all of you to please clean your apartment the next time you move out of it. Our downstairs neighbors were less than thorough on ours...meaning they quickly wiped down anything that could shine noticeably (the kitchen sink and fridge) and promptly ran out the door, leaving nasty crusties all over the kitchen cuboards, charred food in the oven, and cobwebs in the corners and on the walls. Dis-gust-ing.

I dropped off one of my students on my way home from school yesterday and this is what he said:

"Thanks for riding me!"

And said with such sincere innocence!

it's really not all bad

I feel like, of recent, I might be giving off the wrong impression. I DO love teaching. I really do. And I love my students (aside from a select few really irritating ones...but really, when you're thrown in with 50 new peeps, a few of them are bound to bug you). But I seem to only talk about school when I'm terribly annoyed by something. So today, since the only bad thing that happened was a pop quiz, and that was only bad for my students, not for me (I actually really love giving pop quizzes), I'm going to show you some happy pictures of some of my students from the past few semesters.

Fall 2007
Reading Level 4
Nationalities (from left to right): Hong Kong-ese, Korean, me, more Korean, Taiwanese, Taiwanese, Korean, German (I can't help but add this: she was the ditsiest person I have ever met in real life. No really, it was like a movie, she was that dumb)

Winter 2008
Writing Level 2
Nationalities: Korean, Chinese, Chinese, Korean, Haitian (guess who), more Korean...(front row) Japanese, me, Korean, Brazilian, Colombian, Peruvian, Korean


Summer 2008
Reading/Writing Level 3
Nationalities: Korean, Japanese, Korean, Colombian, Tanzanian, me, Korean, (next row) Korean, Japanese, Korean
This was my favorite class (or part of them). Maybe it was beause it was the summer...or maybe because I had them for 2 hours every day for almost 4 months...or maybe because they were just great.

Since I like them so much, this group gets another picture. Two points to whoever can find the Nepali by the name of Bhagawati!

It's true, I discriminate; I'm instantly more fascinated by my minority students. Not that I don't love my Koreans. But honestly, how many Nepali/Tanzanian/Haitian people does the average person meet in the course of a year? They're just so interesting.

the things that drive me crazy/cause me anxiety (today at least)

1. the national debt and collapsing economy
   
2. students who ask stupid questions
3. students who don't do their homework and then ask stupid questions
4. 85 degree weather in the fall
   
5. a lack of clouds anywhere in the sky
6. not knowing how to correctly use prepositions and cases in German
   
7. apples that don't crunch when you bit into them
8. a university that regularly doesn't manage to pay its employees on time- SERIOUSLY PEOPLE
   
9. students who ask me questions I can't answer
   
10. not being able to make good tasting chocolate chip cookies

It hasn't been a bad day...I'm just keeping a record of the many things that make my mood change.

*Might I also add: people who honk when I don't turn right in front of the car speeding towards me down the road.

home sweet home

We finally found a place to live! Although it's a bit smaller than our current apartment, it's still pretty nice, and the kitchen is twice the size of my own. And our rent only increases by 5$. Really, that's kind of sad since we're going to a basement and we've had the entire upstairs of a house, but since our rent has never increased in the 3 years we've lived here, it's to be expected. Anyway, here's a picture.


Look familiar? It should! We're moving to the basement! And as much as I would like to dislike the new owners (our new landlords and upstairs neighbors), they're so dang likable. And they both speak German, so when I have questions on my homework I can come up and ask. And they're not making us pay a deposit. And I still get to eat my garden. And I only have to move my stuff a few dozen feet.

I know, it's kind of weird, but oh, so very convenient.

Spiders

One of my writing level 2 students wrote a paragraph about spiders last week. I read his 1st draft and have had 3 consecutive dreams about spiders since then...and now that I'm forced to read his 2nd draft, I though I'd share his creepy, surprisingly good paragraph.

I hate spiders very much. They are so ugly. They make webs everywhere and they crawl on your body when you sleep. Sometimes they would like to disturb you when you are doing homework they hang in the air with a thread and waver in the air like they are about to fall down in your work book. Sometimes they would like to jump in your food or swim in your juice. Some of them have small bodies, long legs, and little hair. Some of them have fat bodies, short legs, and are hairy. When you kill them, it is hard to do too because they run very fast. Sometimes you cannot catch them. When you kill them, liquid always comes out from their body. Aren't they ugly? Don't you agree with me? I think there is nothing uglier than spiders in this word.

Gross!

I thought about putting a picture up, but I was overcome with shudders at the first image...and I wouldn't want to be afraid of my own blog, now, would I?

Happy Birthday T-rav!

Ya tin bajo!

Punching the dough

Tonight I tried out a new recipe for wheat bread. It was good, but I must admit, I was a bit disappointed.  If you're terrified of making bread, or your previous bread experiences have been disastrous, give it a try.  It's really simple and maybe you'll be more impressed than I.  But in my opinion, there wasn't enough flavor to it, and was actually rather heavy for my taste.  If I ever make it again, I will bake it for about 5 more minutes than I did, which would have helped with the heaviness, and perhaps add a bit more salt.  But I think I'll stick to my momma's delicious recipe.  

Whole Wheat Bread

by Kathy Hill

Combine the following in a small bowl:

2 tbsp yeast

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 c very warm water

In a large bowl (or Kitchen Aid or Bosch mixer), combine these ingredients:

5 c warm water

1 c wheat flour

2 tbsp salt

2/3 c oil

1/4 c wheat germ

2/3 c honey (I prefer 1/3 c honey, 1/3 c molasses)

1 c white flour

1. Add the yeast mixture to the flour.  
2. Then add and knead 5-6 more cups wheat flour and about 2 more cups white flour.  Add the flour until the dough is just barely sticky.  
3. Let dough rise until twice the size.
4. Form into loaves and place in greased loaf pans.
5. Bake 35-40 minutes at 350 F 

If any of you know loads about baking, I'm wondering if it's really necessary to use quite that much yeast.  I would think it would be ok with just 1 tbsp if you let the dough rise a bit longer (maybe after you form it into loaves), but I haven't tried it yet.  It might be ok with a bit less salt as well...if any of you have any suggestions or favorite bread recipes I'd love to try them out.