everybody's workin' for the weekend!

[oops...meant to post this on Friday...duhr...]

Woo hoo! TGIF, my people! TGIF! That is what I am talking about. Are you feeling me and/or do you feel me?

And, equally as worthy of a "Woot!" is that I finally got my car fixed today because it is payday! The two front windows have been stuck down for nearly two weeks, and I've had them classily taped up with garbage bags since then. And, believe me when I say, that is not much fun. I had to drive it the other day because I had to go to that credit counseling appointment and then to work and then to pick up my CSA and then somehow get myself down to my dog-sit house, and it was a pain in the behind untaping and retaping--especially when I was doing that during the torrential downpour. It's being worked on Right Now, and should be done by 4:00 p.m. It will set me back $306, which is sucky, but still. The moral of this story is that you should always get a car with hand-cranked windows (that even sounds cute, doesn't it? hand-cranked?). Unless, of course, someone gave you that car for free in which case you should shut the hell up and just be grateful that your ass is mobile most of the time, right? Right.

[and, I never finished it, but still.]

cranky

My uterus has once again risen in revolt and is currently staging a coup. I feel like surrendering and crawling under my desk and napping until quittin' time. Instead, as a compromise, I'm just not working yet sitting at my desk and being somewhat pleasant. That counts for something, right? Plus, she's trying to force me to go to Spice Island for some java fried rice. Instead I am eating carrot slices and feeling bitter.


But, in good news, I just checked on bus schedules and there's one that goes from work directly to my dog-sit house! One bus! No transfers! Sweet! This morning I walked downtown and caught a bus to Oakland from there, and that was nice, but in the evenings I just wanna get there. Plus, Zeke's mom is getting central air installed As I Type so it is going to be a deliciously cool and humidity-free oasis this evening. I brought a cheesy movie over to watch, too. It's so cheesy I can't admit the title (even though I know that one of you has watched it already 'cause we talked about it). Okay. I'll tell.

Don't blame me! It's my sappy, belligerent uterus!

I have been reading this site all morning. She has some fantastic-sounding recipes and she knows Heidi. 'Nuff said.

I can't wait until the weekend. For one, no work. For two, my car will be fixed. For three, I will get paid and can get some groceries (farmers market and co-op, here I come!). For four, there are some queerific fun times happening this weekend. For five, my bff will be back from vacation. For six, weekends are always far superior to non-weekends.

book club (aka delicious food club) and A Huge Relief

When I got home last night I realized that I did, in fact, have a tiny bit of olive oil with which to make some white bean dip for book club, so I did it. It's the first time I've made it, but friends, it won't be the last. It was possibly the easiest thing I've ever made and was really tasty. I'd cooked the beans (great northern white beans) the night before with a piece of kombu after soaking them overnight. Kombu is a sea vegetable, and if you use a little piece in your pot o' beans it helps make them more digestible and according to The Internet is rich in protein, calcium, iodine, magnesium, iron and folate. Lower rates of breast cancers have been reported in Japanese women eating a diet high in kelp. Lignans, which help fight cancer are found in high quantity in kelp and may provide protection against certain cancers. So, good stuff. Here's the recipe for the easiest-peasiest white bean dip in the history of white bean dips:

2 c. cooked white beans, drained
a little water
a little olive oil
a little salt

In your food processor puree the beans. Add some water for the right consistency. Add a little bit of olive oil and salt to taste. Then drizzle with a little oil to finish. Serve with pita wedges or your favorite veggies.

For real. That is the simplest recipe ever. And, really delicious in its simplicity. You can serve these like you would mashed potatoes, too. Or, I was thinking of pureeing some olive oil with some fresh parsley and making a swirl. And, you could add whatever herbs you like, but I just liked the pure soft white creamy goodness. Also, low-cal and low-fat and high protein and fiber. And, yum.

You shoulda seen the table of treats at the book club last night. Peeps were throwing down! Cheesecake with mangos and white peaches! Watermelon salad! Vegan rosemary-pine nut shortbread! Zucchini muffins! Fresh fruits! Rice crispy treats! Sesame noodles! And more! I can't even remember everything because there was so much goodness. And, I stuck around long enough to be sent home with a doggie bag full of a piece of cheesecake, some watermelon salad and shortbread. Yuh-um. For reals.

Apart from the food it was just a super-fun book club. We discussed Miranda July's No One Belongs Here More Than You and most of us (all but one) felt real, serious love for this book. I adore it. It makes me happy just thinking about it. If you also like to be happy, you should see the website for this book. It's the cutest/cleverest website ever, too. I love you, Miranda July!


You know what else makes me happy? Huh? Guess. No, guess. I mean, I already told you about it, so guess. Give up?

Okay. I had my appointment with the debt counselor guy this morning, and I'd been so terrified for so long about doing this and was on the verge of tears when I sat down in this guy's office, and I'd already had a conversation with myself and given myself permission to cry if I had to because I figured that this dude had probably seen it all before, but to try not to because I'm already super stuffed-up still and it would suck to be even more stuffed up, but either way It Would Be Okay. And, you know what? It was okay. All of it. Like, I didn't even have to cry (well, not too much).

I went to Advantage Credit Counseling Service in the South Side. I'd called the United Way, and asked them for a recommendation for who to talk to, and they said that this was the only place they recommended in Pittsburgh. And, it's free. (There is a charge if you set up monthly debt consolidation payments with them, but even that is pretty cheap, but the counseling is totally free). And, they pulled my credit report, went through my monthly/yearly budget, talked about my future plans and current/desired situation, made very helpful and realistic suggestions, and the guy I saw was just a really kind, friendly guy. You should go. Ask for Justin. He's super. And, he told me about this site where you can get one free credit report per year, and it pulls from all three credit agencies (they don't let you take the one they pull; they have to shred it). Seriously, it was one of the best things I've ever done for myself. I finally got a clear picture of my debt and some good, objective advice about the best way to get to the place I want to be. To my surprise, he didn't push any services on me, and didn't even advise that trying to pay everything off right away was the best idea for me (since I'm needing to save right now for something specific). He was great. I feel so relieved. And, you know what? It wasn't as bad as I thought. My credit, I mean. I'd built it up into this horrible, scary thing that I could never hope to deal with, but I can. I have the knowledge I need now to do it. I talked to someone honestly about my real situation and the ground did not open up and swallow me whole. I didn't find a bunch of money, either, but now I know what I'm dealing with. And, the only time I cried was at the end of the meeting and that was with gratitude and relief. And, only a few tears--not nearly enough to make me stuffier.

why won't this cold go away?

Okay, it's just been a week, but still. I am a mouth-breather. Mags and I took this picture as a joke a few weeks ago, but now this is actually me. It is not good. It sucks when you're so stuffed up that you have to take small bites and eat them really fast so you can breathe again. Dang.


I have book club tonight (yay!), and I had planned to make my food-to-bring last night, but when I got home after the queer dinner I pretty much just completely passed out. I was one tired lady. Plus, I had planned to make these lemon bars, but then remembered I was out of sugar. So, now I need to think of something tasty and quick because Jess is picking me up at 6:30, and I get home from work around 5:45. I did cook a small pot of white beans last night. Maybe a white bean dip? With a swirl of parsley oil? Oh dammit! I just remembered that I'm also out of olive oil! Hmmm...will have to think about this....but my head is stuffy and weird...what were we talking about?

i wish every day were the weekend

...because weekends are where it's at. I was even (still) sick this weekend, and it was good. Any benefactors out there want to make this a reality?

Anyway. I finally found some big glass jars so I could start the kombucha magic! My dear Doggie gave me a mother and some starter liquid, and now she's started. It had actually started to form another mother in that small jar. You can see both of them in the photo.

If you're not familiar with kombucha, it's a Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast (SCOBY). It's full of goodness (this from wikipedia):

Acetic Acid: Its main function is to inhibit harmful bacteria. Acetic acid is used as a preservative because of this action. It is also what gives Kombucha that 'kick' to its smell and taste.
Butyric Acid: Is produced by the yeasts and when working with gluconic acid. Might help combat yeast infections such as candida.
Gluconic Acid: Is effective against many yeast infections such as candidiasis and thrush.
Lactic Acid: Found in Kombucha in its most potent form L-lactic(+). Lactic acid is essential for the digestive system.
Malic Acid: Is also used in the body's detoxification process.
Oxalic Acid: Encourages the cellular production of energy and is a natural preservative.
Usnic acid: Potent antibiotic that exhibits antiviral, antiprotozoal, antimitotic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity.
Kombucha also contains vitamin groups B and C, beneficial yeasts and bacteria.
Also, this:

In addition to, or aside from any possible health benefits, many users report a relatively subtle but definite perceptual shift after consuming kombucha. This perceptual shift is generally characterized by mild euphoria, relaxation, and an overall sense of physical and mental well-being. This effect is not to be confused with the highs associated with some illegal drugs. There are no known psychoactive or psychotropic substances found in Kombucha other than trace amounts of alcohol and if not made with decaf tea, caffeine. Alcohol amounts vary from .5% to 1.7% depending on brewing time and amounts of sugar used in the fermentation of the tea which may account for the experiencing of these effects by some consumers. Stimulation of the circulatory and immune systems, and associated glandular releases, may also account for some of these effects.

AKA It kinda makes you feel a little bit high. Personally? I enjoy that. And, it's really easy to make. I started it on Saturday, and hopefully it'll be ready by Saturday. It's really up to personal taste, so I'll start tasting it on Thursday and go from there. Woo hoo! I love that stuff, and it's so good for you! E. & A. are in line for their own mothers when I get a few ready. If you're in the 'Burgh, and would like one, let me know and I'll put you on the list.

I'm going to start some kefir soon, too. I just need to get the car back in working order (have an appointment on Friday. please cross your collective fingers that it's super easy and cheap to fix) so I can get over the east side of town where they sell organic milk. Dang.

I did start a new batch of chick pea sprouts for veggie burger making. I love those sprout burgers! The ones I made at the beach were super-duper, so I'm going to add a bunch of the same stuff, and this time they'll be even healthier since they're sprouted.

And, speaking of healthier, I lost two more pounds! I swear to the baby jesus that it's the shedding of the secret that is once again allowing for the shedding of pounds. I was stuck, and now I'm un-stuck. So,

Starting weight (02-jan-2007): 245
Lowest weight: 205
Today's weight: 208
Goal weight: 140

Sweet! I can't wait until I break the 200 pound mark. It's been a long time since I've seen the other side of 200 pounds, and it makes me a little giddy to think about it.

Okay. So. On Saturday I got some lovely mushrooms at the Farmers @ Firehouse farmers market from Mushrooms For Life (locally foraged and cultivated). I got a 1/4 lb. of beautiful shittakes and was trying to decide what to do with them when I was on the phone with my chef-mentor Doggie, and she suggested that I bake them. I'd actually just seen that somewhere online recently, but had forgotten about it, and she instructed me to slice them really thinly, then toss them in a little olive oil with salt and pepper, then bake them at 325-350 for about 20 minutes (shaking them after 10 minutes, and then again every 3-5 minutes until they're ready). Oh. My. God. This is one of the best things I've ever tasted! They're really crispy and smoky and taste a LOT like bacon. Freakin' magically delicious.

Before:


After:


I also saw the cutest, sweetest mushroom I'd ever seen. It was a pompom mushroom, and it was described as being "similar to crab". Oh, hell yeah. First off, it's truly beautiful, secondly, the texture is *exactly* like crab, and thirdly, the flabvor is fantastically mild and delicious. She suggested that it's best with eggs and mild cheeses. So, I made an omelette with the pompom, parsley, green onions and chevre. And, sprinkled some of the baked shittakes on top. YUM. (I bought one mushroom and it was enough for two omelettes).

pompom:


omelette:


I also made a really tasty quinoa salad this weekend. Last week I had a doctor's appointment near Whole Foods, and was starving when it was done so I ran in and grabbed something from the prepared foods bar--which I'll never do again since it was approximately one bajillion dollars. And, it wasn't even very good. I got this orange-almond-mint quinoa salad, and it just didn't have much flavor. So, I used that as my inspiration and made this salad. Which, I gotta say, was way better.



Quinoa Salad

Dressing:
juice and zest of two oranges
2 T. olive oil
2 T. honey
2 T. greek yogurt (I'm in love with Fage Total 0%--fat-free!)
1/2 t. fine-grain sea salt
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 T. finely minced crystallized ginger (honestly, I can't really taste this in the finished product, so feel free to leave it out or add 1 t. fresh grated ginger instead)

Whisk together and set aside.

5-6 c. cooked quinoa
1 c. dried cranberries
1/3 c. chopped fresh parsley (you could also use mint, but I didn't have any)
1-2 green onions, thinly sliced
more salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c. toasted pine nuts.

Mix the cranberries, parsley and green onions into the quinoa and add the dressing. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Sprinkle generously with pine nuts when serving (if you put them all in they'll get soggy).

It's really yummy, and really good for you! Quinoa is a complete protein! Totally a little powerhouse grain. I love it.

Apart from cooking, I had some other fun this weekend. Yesterday I hung out with Lauren. She took me to brunch at Zenith where we met up with Austin (the birthday boy!). If you haven't been to brunch at Zenith, do it. It is amazing. The tastes and the unbelievable bounty. It is something to behold. And, we ended up sharing our table with Monica and Jai, and they were a real good time. We had a really interesting discussion of our religious backgrounds, hilarious religious-related stories and childhood secrets and dreams. All while shoveling in some fabulous food. That is where it's at.

Afterwards, Lauren, Austin and I went to the Carnegie Museum of Art to see the Phil Collins (not that Phil Collins) exhibit, the world won't listen. It's a video installment of fans of The Smiths in Istanbul singing karaoke from The Smiths' repertoire. It is amazing. Really amazing. Fun and funny and touching and sad and sweet. Really amazing. We danced, we sang, we had a wonderful time. It's only there until July 1st. If you get a chance this week, go see this. I'm a HUGE Smiths fan, but I think this would be fun for anyone. So good.

Then we bid Austin adieu and headed over to Braddock for the I Made It! craft fair and free vegan cupcakes from Dozen (chocolate with coffee icing--yum). Tons of super-cute stuff. Lauren snagged an adorable shirt, skirt and hat. Good stuff.

Okay, it's Monday and I have work to do. So, yeah.

p.s. HealthQuest 2007 update & more growing (and shrinking!)

I got an email from my friend K. this morning, and she mentioned that she liked the "new horizons and old habits" blog from a couple weeks ago, and she took a step in shedding her shame and sent me her stats of starting weight/lowest weight/current weight/goal weight! Well, actually, I don't know what her shame-level is with that, but for me it was a HUGE step to put that info out there. And, it was just one more step in making my way towards a more genuine, honest and shame-free life. It brought a tear to my eye, as so many things do lately.

And, it reminded me that I have a good-news update! The scale finally moved again, and not up this time! I (re)lost three pounds! Yay! So:

My starting weight was 245.
My lowest weight was 205.
This morning I weighed 210.
My goal is 140.

And, with my confession this morning (see earlier blog from today), I literally feel lighter. Amazing.

And, speaking of tears brought to eyes, I just reconnected with a friend that I've been estranged from for a while. About a year and a half ago we had a little spat. I got my feelings hurt and took things pretty hard, and then made the incident into way more than it needed to be and held a grudge. But, then recently another in-common friend was telling me about that friend's wedding, and I started thinking about how silly the whole thing was and about how I'd made a pledge to myself after my dad's death to not to let that kind of shit rule my life anymore and about how I don't want to be a grudge-holder anymore, and then I came across her name on a website, and knew that it was a sign from the baby jesus that it was time for me to reach out and apologize and hope that she was happy to hear from me. So, I did. And, I got the warmest, sweetest email(s) back from her. And, we have a plan (actually, two plans) to meet up soon and reconnect and catch up on our lives. She sent me pictures from her wedding, and it was so genuinely sweet and I was so genuinely moved by her immediate acceptance of my apology and willingness to let bygones be bygones that I bawled like a baby. In a good way.

Wow. This has been a big week for me.

Phew. Okay. I'm tearing up again. So, how about a recipe?

I made this zucchini salad at the beach, and the gals went wild for it. So, here's the original recipe and my notes below for the changes I made:

Greek Zucchini Sald with Crumbled Feta
serves 6

Fresh mint, feta cheese and zucchini are a favorite summer salad combination in small tavernas throughout the Greek Isles. for a more colorful salad, use one zucchini and one yellow squash.

3 T. lemon juice
2. t. grated lemon zest
1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 t.)
1/2 c. olive oil
2 medium zucchini, peeled into thin ribbons (about 4 c.)
1 medium sweet onion, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, thinly sliced (about 1 c.)
1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese
2 green onions, chopped (about 1/4 c.)
1 T. fresh mint
1 T. fresh parsley

Whisk together lemon juice, lemon zest and garlic in large serving bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add zucchini and onion, and toss to coat. Cover and marinate overnight, or up to 2 days. Sprinkle with feta, green onions, mint and parsley just before serving.

PER SERVING: 149 CAL; 3G PROT; 12G TOTAL FAT (3G SAT. FAT); 9G CARB; 11MG CHOL; 252MG SOD; 2G FIBER; 5G SUGARS.

Okay, so I changed this slightly based on what we had handy. I also only marinated it for about 4-5 hours, and I'm sure it'd be better with a longer time in the juice.
-I used both zucchini and yellow squash. I made the ribbons, but cut them at about 2-3" so it was easier to eat (although the picture with the really long ribbons looks really pretty).
-I used red onion because they're pretty.
-I used basil in place of the mint. I think it'd be good with all three--basil, parsley and mint.
-I didn't use green onions, but I totally would, and would cut on a very diagonal bias for ultimate prettiness.
-I used the dressing that I'd made up for the wheatberry salad--which is very similar (just adds orange and uses shallots instead of garlic), and I think is the best, most simple dressing ever. Also, I only used about a 1/4 c (plus about an extra tablespoon of lemon juice), because that was plenty to coat all the zucchini and onion without bogging in down in oil. So, the fat content is about half what is listed above.:

citrus dressing:
grated zest and juice of 1 orange
1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice [I used the juice of 1 lemon]
1 T. minced shallot
1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil
fine-grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

coming out, again, in a different way.

So, I mentioned the other day about being broke, and I'm sure if I haven't mentioned that before in the blog, I've mentioned it ad nauseum to those of you I know in "real life".

I've had an issue with money management and debt and the resulting guilt/shame/embarrassment/terror about it since, well, since I can remember. And, I've been really pretty good at pretending like I don't like in a constant state of panic about (the lack of) money to most of the people I know. But, I've been in a pretty desperate position financially for a while (my entire adult life), and I'd only really told two people the extent of it--and, not then even fully. But, just recently a potential opportunity has presented itself to me in changing careers and geographical location, and while I was excited, I know that it will probably be a year of facing my demons, working really hard to get things in order, and saving every penny to make this happen. So, it may not happen--well, not, at least, in the way it was originally intended. But, it's been a huge gift, even though it's one of the hardest things I've ever done, to have to face up to the actuality of my situation and try to figure out how to deal with it. Because I'm tired of living like this, and I've made lots of positive changes in my life over the past months, and I want to keep that going.

So, despite being nearly paralyzed with fear and driven to severe nausea, I just made an appointment with a debt counselor for next week. They want me to bring all the names and balances of my debts. And, I had to tell them that I don't even know what those are because I've tried to avoid them and all evidence of them for years--which is why I'm in this predicament.

I never learned how to manage money, and my fear and intimidation about it let me get myself all crunked up and in a horrible spot. I live in a state of near-panic all the time about money, and it's time for that to stop.

During my beach trip we had a Women's Circle, which my friend D. proposed. She works with a woman in her midwife center that started doing them years ago, and wrote a book about it, and D's been having them for a few months with some friends. The idea is that you have a small group of women and you gather (in the case of her group, once a month) and each of you takes a turn to go around the circle and talk about whatever is going on in your life or on your mind. No one else speaks, and no one interrupts--even to offer tissues--until that speaker says she's done, even if she takes some time in the middle of her stream-of-consciousness style speaking (called "holding space" for that person). D and her group have found it to be immensely healing and satisfying, and so we did it at the beach. But, we were catching up on an entire year (since we'd seen one another last), and because we are used to being very intimate with one another, this was a very, very intense experience. I mostly talked about how I've always been a failure. I didn't expect that to happen, but out in came. And, then afterwards I just felt really horrible and embarrassed and ashamed. And, unfortunately, I think I made D feel bad about introducing us to the experience. But, honestly, it's maybe one of the most powerful things I've ever done. I laid stuff out I hadn't admitted to my friends or my therapist or even myself. It sort of shook me to the core. I kind of think, actually, that it's maybe why I've been sick for the last week--because I was still resisting dealing with it.

And, D's also the key factor in this possible opportunity I mentioned above. I just sent her an email this morning "coming out" to her about the reality of my situation and how that will postpone me going forward immediately.

But, wow. Mixed in with the guilt/shame/embarrassment/terror, I feel some hope. For the first time.

Thank you, D. You've actually just changed my life for the better.

summer solstice

Yep, it's officially summer! As of 2:06 p.m. I will say Yay! Summer equals swimming and tomatoes and cucumbers and basil and cute girls in minimal clothing and being busy in the best of ways. Again, yay!

I had a little plate of summer last night for dinner. I picked up my CSA (I got the whole thing this week since Jen's outta town! Yay!). We got: lettuce (mesclun?), spinach, green onions, peas, parsley, beets, zucchini, squash. Verdict: yum.

I supplemented a little from Whole Foods and made a salad for dinner with spinach, green onion, basil, cherry tomatoes, peas and avocado. Served it up with the last of my lovely raspberry dressing, some baguette smeared with brie (fromage d'affinois) and a mango Synergy kombucha. It was a fresh delight!


I'm still kinda sick, but I could feel the freshness starting to heal me. It totally works!

WV Day!

I'm kinda sick-as-dog today. I seem to have developed some kind of flu-type illness that is kicking my ass. So, the last thing I feel like doing is eating. But, it's West Virginia Day so I wanted to give a shout-out to my home state and to all the Moutaineers (and honorary Mountaineers) in the house. Here's Senator Byrd's WV Day speech from 2003. It's a good one! Montani Semper Liberi!

Remarks by U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd
June 20, 2003

Happy Birthday, West Virginia!

It is that time of year again.

It is that time when the flowers are in full bloom and birds are chirping the sweetest and the loudest. It is that time when you feel most like breathing the clean, fresh air blowing in from the Appalachian mountains. The time of year when you feel most like taking your loved one by the hand and strolling, arm in arm, through your favorite park knowing that all is right with the world -- and all is right with the world because it is West Virginia Day!

June 20th is West Virginia Day. I am celebrating this glorious day. It was 140 years ago that West Virginia became a State. It was on June 20, 1863, the Reverend J.T. McLure offered the State's inaugural prayer. Referring to the fact that the State was created in the middle of the American Civil War, he prayed:

"We pray Thee, almighty God, that this State, born amidst tears and blood and fire and desolation, may long be preserved and from its little beginning may grow to be a might and a power that shall make those who come after us look upon it with joy and gladness and pride of heart."

I am pleased and proud to say, 140 years later, that I can look upon my West Virginia with "joy and gladness and pride of heart." On this West Virginia Day, I again want to speak about the people of West Virginia, the hardest-working and most patriotic people in the United States. They have endured hardships, poverty, and floods of biblical proportions, but have remained loyal to their state and our Nation. Whenever the country has needed them, in war or in peace, they have always been there, and I have always been so proud to represent them in the United States Senate.

On this West Virginia Day, I again speak about the splendors of my State -- truly one of the most beautiful states in the Nation. With its rushing, trout-filled mountain streams, its majestic rolling green hills, picturesque villages and towns, magnificent forests, scenic state parks -- no wonder the State has been depicted in song and verse as being "almost heaven." There are the State's natural beauties like Seneca Rocks and the New River Gorge. There are the State's natural wonders like Cranberry Glades, Hawks Nest, and Berkeley Springs.

You can go camping in West Virginia's beautiful parks like Cooper's Rock State Forest, Babcock, Pipestem, or Watoga. You can go fishing in the Greenbrier river, Holly River, and Tygart Lake. You can take a ski trip in the wondrous Canaan Valley, or go white- water rafting down the magnificent Cheat River. Go hiking along the awesome Appalachian Trial.

Simply drive around the state and enjoy a pace and a view far different than the drives most of us suffer through daily. I invite my colleagues, the people in the galleries, people everywhere, to take a drive in West Virginia. You will love it. You will never forget it.

I have often spoken enthusiastically of the "wild and wonderful" scenery of West Virginia. Therefore, on this, the 140th anniversary of my great and glorious State, I want to tell you about its history.

Some of my State's history is well-known and well-documented; like the fact that it is the only state created from another state without the parent state's permission, and that it is the only state to achieve statehood by the proclamation of a president (Abraham Lincoln). It can be argued that the first battle of the American Revolution took place at Point Pleasant and that the last battle of the Revolution was fought at Fort Henry, in Wheeling. The State is rich in Civil War history; at Harpers Ferry, John Brown began the bloody quest to finally eliminate the scourge of slavery from this nation, and the first significant land battle of the Civil War took place at Phillipi, on June 3, 1861.

But there is another, lesser known, side to my State's history that I want to talk about today -- a history that shows what a unique, diversified, and fascinating state West Virginia really is.

Most of my colleagues are aware that West Virginia's political history includes providing the Senate's Majority Leader, the Senate's Minority Leader, the chairman of the Senate Appropriation's Committee, and the second longest serving Senator in American history -- and that was all one person, me! But I proudly point out that my State's political history includes the first African American woman, Minnie Buckingham Harper of Welch, to ever serve in a state legislature (1928). In 1934, West Virginians elected the youngest person ever elected by popular vote to the United States Senate -- Rush D. Holt . (His son, Rush Holt, now represents the State of New Jersey in the Congress).

Most people are aware of the importance of coal to West Virginia, and the importance of West Virginia coal to the Nation. For nearly a century, West Virginia coal helped fuel America's industries, heat our homes and power our battleships. But West Virginia's natural resources have also included America's first natural gas well (1815, near Charleston) and the world's largest gas well, "Big Moses" in Tyler County, which was drilled in 1894 and produced 100,000,000 cubic feet of gas per day. In 1941, the first and largest synthetic rubber plant in the United States began operation near Charleston.

There is so much to see and do in West Virginia. There is nature. There is beauty. There is history.

With the State's modern highway system, you can drive to Weirton, West Virginia, and see the only city in the United States that stretches from a state's eastern border all the way to its western border.

At Grafton, West Virginia, you can visit Andrews Church, which, on May 10, 1908, was the site of the first celebration of Mother's Day. Just a few hours away, near Thomas, West Virginia, is a unique, picturesque little church, Our Lady of the Pines, once considered the smallest church in the United States.

You can travel to Charles Town, West Virginia, and see where rural free mail delivery began in 1896 and see the Court House in which more than 500 coal miners went on trial for treason and insurrection in 1922.

Speaking of labor history, drive over to Martinsburg and see where the great railroad strike of 1877 began, or down to Logan County, West Virginia, and view the site of the largest labor uprising in American history, the Battle of Blair Mountain.

West Virginia also has a fascinating business history. The first trust in the United States was the salt trust organized in 1817 by the salt manufacturers along the Kanawha River. The first patent for a soda fountain was granted to George Dulty, of Wheeling, West Virginia, in 1833 and outdoor advertising had its origins in that same city in 1908. The first municipally owned parking building in the United States opened in Welch, in 1941.

Sports history, West Virginia has that too. Colliers, West Virginia, on June 1, 1880, was the site of the first barenuckles heavyweight championship fight. At Burnsville, in 1960, Danny Heater scored 135 points in a single basketball game, for which he is in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Finally, let me invite you to drive over to Ritchie County, West Virginia, and see where history was made when a Mountain was made from a Mole Hill – literally. It actually happened. It happened when the good people of the town of Mole Hill, West Virginia, decided to change the name of their town. They changed it to, you guessed it, Mountain.

On this the 140th anniversary of West Virginia, we will welcome you.

On this, the 140th anniversary of West Virginia, I say happy birthday, West Virginia. Congratulations, West Virginia.

"Born amidst tears and blood and fire and desolation," in the words of Reverend Mr. McLure, from a "little beginning" you have grown "to be a might and a power" that has made us look upon you " with joy and gladness and pride of heart."

West Virginia

This was no land for lily-fingered men
Who bowed and scraped and danced a neat quadrille,
In towns and cities far beyond the ken
Of mountaineers - - who loved each rock and rill.

It was a place for lean, tall men with love
For freedom flowing strongly in their veins,
For those attuned to vagrant stars above,
To rugged peaks, deep snows and June-time rains.

And so our State was whelped in time of strife
And cut its teeth upon a cannon ball;
Its heritage was cleaner, better life,
Within the richest storehouse of them all.

With timber, oil and gas and salt and coal,
It bargained in the world's huge marketplace.
The mountain empire reached a mighty goal;
It never ran a pauper's sordid race.

And best of all, it sired a hardy flock
Whose fame will grow with centuries to be,
Tough as a white-oak stump or limestock rock,
The mountaineers - - who always shall be free.

-- Roy Lee Harmon

oh wait. one more post today.

I also wanted to post about the pizzas I've been living on since I returned from the beach. I made a recipe of Heidi's thin-crust pizza dough from Cook 1.0, except that I used half whole wheat flour. She gets six pizzas out of it, but I got five very thin crust pizzas. They are very yum. And, since they're relatively small and the dough is very thin, they're not even so "bad" for you!

E-dawg came over for dinner on Saturday in the middle of our Pride celebration and we had a fresh green salad (spinach, romaine, radishes, amorosa tomatoes, basil and the raspberry dressing) and a pizza with sun-dried tomato puree, fresh tomatoes, goat cheese, basil, veggie sausage, chopped dried figs, red onions and crushed red pepper. It was yummy, but I thought it needed something salty to balance the sweetness of the sun-dried tomatoes and figs. I made another one the next day (or, was it in the middle of the night when I got home...?) with all the same stuff except using feta instead of the goat cheese and it was perfect.


Here's one with banana peppers, red onion, parsley, a tomato sauce that is just fresh and sundried tomatoes pureed, grated cheddar and mozzarella. But, again, I felt like it needed something. It was pretty acidic, and needed something to balance it.


So, I made it again last night and swapped out the cheese for feta and added some roasted garlic. Perfect.


I love keeping a big ball of pizza dough in my fridge because then I can make something delicious to eat in under 20 minutes, including baking time (10 mins).

Sweet.