bsybusybusy! (or: my big fat gay weekend)
this is gonna be a long entry because i've had a busy last few days
! first off, it is a sad day to be a dyke in Minneapolis since Pi Bar closed this weekend. i was there on Thursday and somehow got talked into going back Friday as well. I'm so sad they are closing because they are really the only exclusively lesbian bar in the cities, at least that I know of. they had to close because of the housing market; they had to give the building up, so they are trying to find another space. I so hope they can. there's talk of the owner opening something in Dinkytown, so... fingers crossed!
yesterday I went to see the Boy in the Striped Pajamas. I think it is only playing in Edina, at least that is where I had to go to see it, but seriously people... if you are into the Holocaust at all, please please see this movie. it's actually based on a book, which Teresa and I read before we went on our WWII trip. the story is about a little German boy whose father is a soldier who goes to work at Auschwitz. the boy meets a Jewish boy over the fence and they form a frienship. of course it ends horribly, but it is a really great look at the Holocaust and the inhumane and deplorable hell forced upon Jews from a child's perspective. I cried through the whole damn thing, too, which i never ever do during movies. I'm not sure if it was because i've seen Auschwitz or because the story is so powerful.
then i rushed to the Capitol for the proposition 8 protest. i was late and missed the vigil, because i am still an idiot about getting anywhere in St. Paul. I hope all this nation-wide protesting will not be in vain. I really couldn't believe the state of California, of all states, put a ban on gay marriage, which had already passed in the first place! the cool thing is that I did get to finally come out to my aunt, uncle and cousins who live in L.A., and ask them to vote no on the ban. they said they were planning on voting no anyway, since even though they are pretty religious, half their church consists of gay couples. Lol! i suppose eventually i will have to come out to my dad's parents and the rest of the side of that family. ugh. I suspect I have a gay cousin on that side also, so if i can get her to confirm this (no small feat), maybe we can do it together. what a Thanksgiving/holiday treat that would be!
and finally, I just have to say this... i got the Enya christmas CD on sale at Target!!! i have been waiting soooo long for her to do a christmas album i nearly had a heart attac when I saw it. it's kind of a trip, actually. most of the songs are originals, and the strangest part is that in "my My! Time Flies!", there is a throwbackish bluesy electric guitar solo. never never would I have thought i'd hear guitar over Enya's eight million overdubs and (yes i will even admit it) somewhat trite lyrics. but I love love love it. and on "white is in the Winter Night" her adorable Irish accent is so clear and obvious i smile through the whole thing. why am i such a freaking sucker for an accent? i am so going to get made fun of for this, especially since i will probably bring the CD to work tomorrow. all my macho coworkers can go jump off a balcony for all I care.
ok and finally... because it was requested from my last post, here is the cranberry pumpkin bread recipe. i'm giving you the original one from http://www.epicurious.com
and then at the bottom, because i of course have to destroy someone's hard work in developing a recipe, my modifications.
Pumpkin Cranberry Bread
Ingredients
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup picked-over fresh or frozen cranberries
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350° F. and butter a loaf pan, 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 by 2 3/4 inches.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together pumpkin, sugar, water, eggs,
and oil. Sift in flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and spices and stir just
until batter is smooth. Stir in cranberries and spoon batter into loaf pan, spreading
evenly.
Bake bread in middle of oven 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean,
and cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes. Turn bread out onto rack and cool completely.
Bread may be made 4 days ahead and chilled, covered.
ok... first, double the spices. I sometimes triple them, but i'm a spice whore. I also add a bit of Nutmeg because... well, it's nutmeg and it's delicious. You can use up to half whole-wheat flour for a more dense loaf, which I like. I've also thrown in some walnuts or pecans sometimes. Finally, if you want to you can omit the vegetable oil and use a bit extra pumpkin, if you want to cut the fat. I myself say fuck the oil and water and use butter. LOL
happy baking!
ok i'm out. for real. sorry for spamming your friends' list.
! first off, it is a sad day to be a dyke in Minneapolis since Pi Bar closed this weekend. i was there on Thursday and somehow got talked into going back Friday as well. I'm so sad they are closing because they are really the only exclusively lesbian bar in the cities, at least that I know of. they had to close because of the housing market; they had to give the building up, so they are trying to find another space. I so hope they can. there's talk of the owner opening something in Dinkytown, so... fingers crossed!
yesterday I went to see the Boy in the Striped Pajamas. I think it is only playing in Edina, at least that is where I had to go to see it, but seriously people... if you are into the Holocaust at all, please please see this movie. it's actually based on a book, which Teresa and I read before we went on our WWII trip. the story is about a little German boy whose father is a soldier who goes to work at Auschwitz. the boy meets a Jewish boy over the fence and they form a frienship. of course it ends horribly, but it is a really great look at the Holocaust and the inhumane and deplorable hell forced upon Jews from a child's perspective. I cried through the whole damn thing, too, which i never ever do during movies. I'm not sure if it was because i've seen Auschwitz or because the story is so powerful.
then i rushed to the Capitol for the proposition 8 protest. i was late and missed the vigil, because i am still an idiot about getting anywhere in St. Paul. I hope all this nation-wide protesting will not be in vain. I really couldn't believe the state of California, of all states, put a ban on gay marriage, which had already passed in the first place! the cool thing is that I did get to finally come out to my aunt, uncle and cousins who live in L.A., and ask them to vote no on the ban. they said they were planning on voting no anyway, since even though they are pretty religious, half their church consists of gay couples. Lol! i suppose eventually i will have to come out to my dad's parents and the rest of the side of that family. ugh. I suspect I have a gay cousin on that side also, so if i can get her to confirm this (no small feat), maybe we can do it together. what a Thanksgiving/holiday treat that would be!
and finally, I just have to say this... i got the Enya christmas CD on sale at Target!!! i have been waiting soooo long for her to do a christmas album i nearly had a heart attac when I saw it. it's kind of a trip, actually. most of the songs are originals, and the strangest part is that in "my My! Time Flies!", there is a throwbackish bluesy electric guitar solo. never never would I have thought i'd hear guitar over Enya's eight million overdubs and (yes i will even admit it) somewhat trite lyrics. but I love love love it. and on "white is in the Winter Night" her adorable Irish accent is so clear and obvious i smile through the whole thing. why am i such a freaking sucker for an accent? i am so going to get made fun of for this, especially since i will probably bring the CD to work tomorrow. all my macho coworkers can go jump off a balcony for all I care.
ok and finally... because it was requested from my last post, here is the cranberry pumpkin bread recipe. i'm giving you the original one from http://www.epicurious.com
and then at the bottom, because i of course have to destroy someone's hard work in developing a recipe, my modifications.
Pumpkin Cranberry Bread
Ingredients
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup picked-over fresh or frozen cranberries
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350° F. and butter a loaf pan, 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 by 2 3/4 inches.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together pumpkin, sugar, water, eggs,
and oil. Sift in flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and spices and stir just
until batter is smooth. Stir in cranberries and spoon batter into loaf pan, spreading
evenly.
Bake bread in middle of oven 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean,
and cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes. Turn bread out onto rack and cool completely.
Bread may be made 4 days ahead and chilled, covered.
ok... first, double the spices. I sometimes triple them, but i'm a spice whore. I also add a bit of Nutmeg because... well, it's nutmeg and it's delicious. You can use up to half whole-wheat flour for a more dense loaf, which I like. I've also thrown in some walnuts or pecans sometimes. Finally, if you want to you can omit the vegetable oil and use a bit extra pumpkin, if you want to cut the fat. I myself say fuck the oil and water and use butter. LOL
happy baking!
ok i'm out. for real. sorry for spamming your friends' list.