Monthly Archives: November 2012

Things That Can Be Carried on a Bike (#411 & #412)

#411…a large cardboard box containing 4 pans of food on it’s way to a local food pantry. #412…a smaller cardboard box containing a small bag of dog food (on top of the box), and a few groceries and sundries. Urban Simplicity.

Das Kuchen (rezept und fotos)…

Like many Americans, ancestrally speaking I am a mixed breed. My dad’s family is Lebanese—straight from the “Old Country”—hence the Lebanese-inspired recipes on this blog. My mom’s family is German (with maybe a bit of French, too…my grandfather’s family was Alsatian); they’ve been in this country since about 1830 the best that I can tell.Continue reading “Das Kuchen (rezept und fotos)…”

Things That Can be Carried on a Bike (#410)

A large cardboard box containing packaging materiel and another smaller cardboard box containing a new cast iron double Dutch oven with a lid that doubles as a skillet…I am very excited to cook in this pot…I’ll post recipes 🙂 Urban Simplicity.

Five Quotes from Desmond Tutu

Photo found here. “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”  “Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument.”  “In the end what matters is not how good we are but how good God is. Not how much we love Him but how muchContinue reading “Five Quotes from Desmond Tutu”

Donkey Bike…

While mindlessly flipping through web pages the other day I came across this bike. Odd looking, I thought. But practical. There’s something about it that I like. It’s called a Donkey Bike but for some reason it makes me think of my pugs…so ugly it’s attractive and lovable. Maybe that’s why I like it. Anyhow,Continue reading “Donkey Bike…”

45 Seconds and 51 Years Ago…

Okay…so this gives me goosebumps. It is a 45 second clip recorded slightly more than 51 years ago. And it is just as relevant today–even more so–than it was when it was recorded. Why, I wonder, are the messengers of peace on this planet so often assassinated…JFK, MLK, Ghandi, and of course Jesus the Christ,Continue reading “45 Seconds and 51 Years Ago…”

Two (contrasting) Views from My Handlebars…

What a difference a few hours can make. The above photo is looking skyward to beautiful clear skies, and the below is earthbound in torrential rain. The top photo I took this morning on my way to work. I was about to enter another busy day and stopped for a moment and straddled my bikeContinue reading “Two (contrasting) Views from My Handlebars…”

Things That Can be Carried on a Bike (#407-409)

#407 (top photo)…an external hard drive.#408 (middle photo)…a whole raw chicken.#409 (bottom photo)…groceries, dog food, and a gym bag full of clothes. Urban Simplicity.

The View from My Handlebars…

It was such a beautiful day and evening today; it felt more like spring than it did autumn. It was warm (freakishly warm)…70F/21C. Anyhow, I was at the intersection of Summer and Elmwood Streets, looking west, when I saw the scene pictured above. I thought I’d share. To see more views from my handlebars, clickContinue reading “The View from My Handlebars…”

Lebanese Chicken-and-Rice (sort of)

This is yet another variation of my Lebanese chicken-and-rice recipe. The reason I say “sort of” in the title of this post is that I didn’t use ground lamb–which is in the original recipe–and I color/slightly flavor the dish with turmeric (along with the other spices), which is not normally in this recipe. In addition,Continue reading “Lebanese Chicken-and-Rice (sort of)”

Things That Can be Carried on a Bike (#406)

A cardboard box containing ingredients for this recipe, plus a few other items. Urban Simplicity.

Simple Pasta Recipe = Comfort Food

I had mentioned in recent posts on how I am in a particularly stressful period right now at work. Crazy busy. Just one lunch and dinner after another. Today, at one point, I think I was making five different recipes simultaneously while I was also directing my staff. I’m not mentioning this to be aContinue reading “Simple Pasta Recipe = Comfort Food”

Five Quotes from Benjamin Franklin

“I didn’t fail the test, I just found 100 ways to do it wrong.”  “Many people die at twenty five and aren’t buried until they are seventy five.”  “Instead of cursing the darkness, light a candle.” “It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority.”  “When you are finished changing, you’re finished.”  Yes, IContinue reading “Five Quotes from Benjamin Franklin”

The View from My Handlebars, Things That Can be Carried on a Bike (#405)…and a brief comment

I had a crazy day at work today (I’ve been saying this a lot lately)…rushing around for most of the morning and afternoon, and then just before the workday was done a planning committee informed me of everything they have not liked for the past yearly quarter…which was pretty much everything. Needless to say, betweenContinue reading “The View from My Handlebars, Things That Can be Carried on a Bike (#405)…and a brief comment”

Kibbeh wa Kafta

Kibbeh and Kafta are two Lebanese meat recipes that are somewhat similar yet at the same time a bit different. While they are both often made with lamb they are equally good when made with beef (as the recipe pictured is). And the recipe can take on many forms, this is just one example. IContinue reading “Kibbeh wa Kafta”

A Year From Now…

 Image found here. Hokey as these may seem, I stumbled upon them independently a day apart and they really resonated with me. Hmmm…is something trying to nudge me a long?  These, I think, can be targeted at anyone…and taken literally or metaphorically. So how about you? What about now…. Image found here. Urban Simplicity.

A Few Views from My Handlebars

It has been magnificently autumnal these past few days. Crisp and chilly air, and great weather to ride a bike in (you don’t sweat). Anyhow these photos were taken yesterday and today; all while I was out doing errands. They were also taken with my little $99 point-and-shoot camera which fits so nicely in myContinue reading “A Few Views from My Handlebars”