« July 2005 | Main | September 2005 »

August 31, 2005

Let the price gouging begin!

I saw this on my way into work this morning, at 22nd & Spring Garden...sorry the picture is so grainy, the light changed just as I got my camera going.

But if you look closely, you can see that the sign says "Unleaded $3.37/gallon." Yikes!

I guess I'll be spending a little more money than usual...on SEPTA tokens!

Posted by Janice Ryan at 2:18 PM | Comments (1)

August 24, 2005

Blogging Effect

So, I've noticed something interesting (besides the potential for being Blankbabied) about blogging, and I don't think it's just me...

I tend to read the blogs of mostly people that I know, like Dan, Scott, Ryan, and Terry. With the exception of Terry, I don't think I really knew any of them well enough when I started reading their blogs to engage in casual conversation. However, reading, commenting, and generally following along, you start to feel like you know those people you didn't know before much better. So you IM, then you actually talk more.

Which leads to a weird point, where you're in the bathroom with Becky, and tempted to comment on a recent post in person, but can't decide if that's weird, not because you're in the bathroom, but because you've barely spoken. 'Cause really, she's mostly a stranger.

Or, when you find yourself exchanging emails with Cara, who hasn't been back to Penn in a while and is at least mildly interested in the changes to campus since she graduated (ie, McDeath no longer being McDeath, but just a normal McDonald's), as well as your skill at turning off the Word Paperclip Guy. That wouldn't be so odd, except that Cara lives in Chicago, so we've never met, and is not really like a normal, everyday person, since she's Cara Lockwood, a "National Bestselling Author," currently working on her fourth novel. Me in Hollywood Video this weekend: "So I got email from Cara today, and oh, look, there's the movie based on her first book."

That's weird. I did't write back, because I was a little thrown by the whole feeling of knowing this person, since I know all about her kitchen remodel from hell and her slacker tendencies. But really, I don't. She's not a friend. If I ran into her on the street, I wouldn't realize what was happening. She wouldn't know I was me, I wouldn't realize she was her, unless we said more than "oops, sorry" after bumping into eachother (which, in my head, happens across the street from the north point of Logan Circle, but that's not the point of my story).

Um, so, does this happen to anyone else? Is it the point of blogs? How do you deal when someone you've just met wants you to defend your comments on Lancaster County? And how are you supposed to transition to talking to someone you only know virtually?

Posted by Janice Ryan at 12:23 AM | Comments (3)

August 23, 2005

What I've learned about Avocados

Okay, so my recent obsession with guacamole has led me to learn a little something about avocados:

There are two main types that you'll see in stores: The Hass and the Fuerte.

Hass come from California typically and are about the size of a fist. They have a bumpy exterior texture. In the store, they are pretty green, sometimes turning black. They aren't ripe until they are almost completely black and have a little give when squeezed. They're usless when underripe. Put them in a brown bag with some ripe apples or bananas to get them ripened faster. You won't likely find them ripe in the store - these are not instant gratification fruit.

Fuerte are larger than the Hass - about two Fuerte has the yield of 3 Hass. They are green when ripe. If they're turning black outside, they're likely turning black inside, too. That's bad. They seem to typically be labeled as "Florida Avocados" in the store, where I have found them to be either ripe or overripe. They have significantly less fat than Hass, which results in a less creamy texture - so these are good if you like chunky guacamole with a lot of lime juice in it.

A serving of an avocado is 1/8 of the fruit. They're really more a fat than a fruit product.

Speaking of guacamole, I haven't tried again recently, but I did make another batch after the first. I used Hass avocados the second time - which is when I learned my important lessons about ripening. I also used the fresh salsa from the prepared food section of Whole Foods. That was much better than using jarred stuff. Yes, I could do tomatoes, onion, and jalapeno from scratch, but I think that's too much work to do.
As for the avocados, I think I prefer the Fuerte, but they're harder to find in good condition. I'll probably try to pick up some more Hass and try again this weekend.

Posted by Janice Ryan at 11:41 PM | Comments (3)

August 1, 2005

Work in Progress: Pretend You're at El Vez Guacamole

Okay, so I've obviously obsessing over El Vez and their guacamole. I think it's because I'm kinda surprised I like it. Tonight, I tried making it at home. I think it still needs a little refinement, but it's pretty good.

The recipie thus far:

2 avocadoes
2 Tbsp salsa, drained
1 lime
1 large pinch salt

Cut the unpeeled avocodos in half, then twist to seperate sides. Remove the pit with a spoon. Use the spoon to seperate the halves of the avacado from the skin. Cut the avacado halves into pieces roughly 1/2 inch by 1 inch and put into bowl. Add the salsa (I drained it by scooping it from the jar with a fork). Zest and juice the lime into the mixture and add salt. Mix to combine, until desired consistency.

It's not perfect. Part of the difference is that, as a shortcut, I used salsa from a jar instead of fresh tomatoes and onion. I think I'll use salsa again, but next time, I'm going to try to use the "fresh" salsa from the refrigerated section.
I had "1 clove garlic" in the recipie at first, but I've decided now that it's upsetting my stomach, so I've killed it. Next time, we'll assume the salsa has enough garlic to handle it.
Overall though, it was pretty good, especially for something I've never made before. I was most concerned with duplicating the strong lime flavor that El Vez's has. I definitely got that.

Did I miss an ingredient, or ignore a flavor that you remember? Let me know, I want to get this right!

Posted by Janice Ryan at 11:27 PM | Comments (3)