Update and Giant Sable Antelopes

Its been a while since I've been able to update my blog, but life has been driving me crazy as of late!

Speaking of driving, I did get that license! That project is accomplished!! While I still cannot actually drive anywhere due to lack of car, I can get into other persons' vehicles and take them for a ride. This does not mean I am forever the designated driver by the way... Sometimes, I too need a drink haha.

GREs have been driving me a tad crazy... I actually do enjoy studying, but that only becomes true once I get into it. I realize I need my Chopin Pandora station to concentrate and feel relaxed. Even math is tolerable with a little piano classics playing in the background. Vocab learning is in full swing, and thats probably the most tedious part of my prep. By the way, the word Slake... I've been trying to learn it for 2 weeks and just cannot for the life of me care enough about it...it keeps ending up in my "words I have yet to get" pile...what does it mean...let me look it up... oh yea to lessen the force of, to satisfy, to moderate, to abate... maybe I'll finally remember it...

Besides the work and studying and cooking and cleaning, I got to enjoy the first of the zoo's Evening Lecture Series. Today's topic was The Great Sable Antelope: Back from the Ashes. Renowned journalist John Frederick Walker has been involved in African wildlife conservation through writing and expeditions since 1986. He was very interested in the Giant Sable Antelope, which were thought to be extinct during the 27 year Civil war in Angola. The males grow an impressive set of horns that can be as long as 54inches!! They're magnificently curved and just breathtaking These majestic sable only live in remote areas of Angola, and their habitat was a war zone. In the 90's some of these animals were re-discovered again, but there was no clear indication that there was a sustainable population of individuals that can repopulate the species into survival. This animal was also kept secret by the native tribes in the area, because the animal was sacred to them. It is these individuals from the two tribes, who became the game wardens/protectors once sanctuaries were established for this species. The Giant Sable Antelope is after all the national animal of Angola and Angolians are very proud of this. In the late 90's projects were funded by oil companies (ironically) to help restore the species with captive breeding programs. The project was a success after many years of trying and in 2009 Giant Sable offspring were recorded for the first time in decades. A breakthrough really, because this animal was doomed, but in the end prevailed!! lets hope these majestic creatures will continue to thrive and burgeon (GRE word hehe)...

For more information about this amazing animal and incredible story, check out John Frederick Walker's book A Certain Curve of Horn , which recieved much praise within the conservation circle. Also check out his web page for information about lectures, writings, and also his artwork, which is just brilliant. http://johnfrederickwalker.com

Oh the Trip Planning begins!

So May is gonna be pretty crazy for me!

My job wants me to travel to Omaha for a conference in the first week of May, from the 2nd to the 4th (so really with travel time from the 1st to the 5th)....Then I have a wedding in Dallas on May 7th (and I will stay til May 9th)...and finally, the end of May my girls will be somewhere in New Mexico during their road trip, and I'm supposed to meet them in Albequerque, NM on May 29th, then we drive to Cortez to Mesa Verde National Park, then drive through the 4 Corners on our way to the Grand Canyon, and finally hit up Las Vegas...from Vegas,on June 1st or 2nd, I will be returning. What a crazy month for me!!! I'm excited!!

GRE update.

I've figured out a pretty good study schedule. I read all the materials and the "tricks and traps" associated with this test last week, and now I'me ready to start conquering and acquiring info.

Tuesdays - Math 7- 10ish
Wednesdays - Vocabulary and Writing 7-10ish
Thursdays - Break
Fridays - Review of weakest points in the week
Saturdays - Break
Sundays - Break but do vocab whenever have time
Mondays - Break but do vocab whenever have time

I started today for real, with math. At first it was fun actually...because I like some aspects of math....and then I realized how little I remember. Today I did Geometry. I realize I need a lot of work!! Its OK though...It was the first real study day and therefore mind shock is something I expected. We shall see how I feel about tomorrow's study session.

Now of course as the time gets closer I will probably increase my studying, unless by then I feel like I can handle it....I have 4 months. My Sundays and Mondays will be spend doing that vocabulary on the train rides to NYC....a good 2 hours total on each day. I'm planning on splitting my vocab flash cards into approximately 40 words a week... and add words I have problems grasping to the emergency pile that I'll go over in the weeks closest to the test.

Have approximately 15 weeks!

Driving Update...

So this past Saturday was my second attempt at getting that licence....and there was yet another obstacle!! My brother's car was unacceptable!!! Not because he was missing parts or had broken lights or something....it was because his windows are tinted...Now in NH where his car is registered, that is legal as long as 35% light can get in. In CT you need a damn sticker on your windows saying its legal....He does not have these stickers, because he is not from CT, therefore I am screwed again!!! One good thing that came of this is that I learned about Thursday evening extended hours where they offer road tests until 6:30 PM. This means I don't have to sacrifice another Saturday off. I will go with a friend from work who I've been practicing with anyway. Her car will do the trick. Anyway thats that adventure....my next attempt is on April 14th, a Thursday, at 5:30PM. Third time's a charm haha.

Recipe Update...

I've been slacking, I know. There's been a lot on my mind and a lot of general life stuff happening. Obstacles basically. I have a little bit of time so I'll post my weekend dinner.

I decided to experiment with Turkish food and made borek. This particular borek dish is a pasrty filled with a feta cheese mixture. It is delicious! In order to make this, I used some authentic ingredients bought at a Turkish market in Queens. I'm sure any area of the country where a Turkish community resides has one of these markets. But just in case, I will give alternatives that can be substituted... The recipe calls for yufka pastry sheets, which are thicker than filo. Both can be used but I would double up the filo to make it thicker. Also, the great thing about this recipe is that yufka is so long after its rolled up with the filling, it can be spiraled, or rolled into a rose shape in your baking dish. It makes it look very fancy, even if its not perfect. If using filo, this is nearly impossible because filo is so delicate. I would suggest just rolling filo into cigar shapes and placing the rolls up against each other in the baking dish. You can still get a cool effect once its served.

Baked Spiral Feta Cheese Borek

Ingredients:
Yufka pastry sheets (or regular filo sheets if you cannot find yufka)
Labne, a Turkish style yogurt (can use greek yogurt)
1 egg yolk
1 stick butter, melted
sesame seeds (optional)

filling:
1.5 cups Feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 egg
1 garlic clove
1 heaping tablespoon Turkish labne (can use plain greek yogurt or lightly strained sour cream)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a mixing bowl combine all filling ingredients. Mix until well combined.

3. Because Yufka sheets are huge, and round, you need a lot of counter space for it. Cut the yufka in half. Set the straight end closest to you. This is where you place the filling. if using filo, place it in front of you so the longest side is where you will place the filling
4. Use a pastry brush to spread the melted butter all over the top of your pastry piece. Spread a "bead" of filling on the long edge.

5. Gently roll the edge towards the rounded edge. Don't make it too tight, it can rip. Rolled too loosely the filling may ooze out or you will have too much "air" once its baked.
6. After you have your long rolled piece, gently spiral it. If it rips a little, or looks stiff, don't worry it will still look and taste awesome!
7. Do the same thing with another piece of pastry and just add it to the end of the other rolled piece and continue the spiral. You can add as many layers to the spiral as you want. The bigger the borek, the cooler it looks. You can also roll individual small spirals with each yufka you fill. These will be individual portions and look quite elegant. I chose to use only two pieces, so one whole yufka round.

8. In a smaller bowl, mix the egg yolk, a tablespoon of labne/yogurt and some melted butter. I used a wisk to mix these ingredients and created a mayo-like consistency which was very easy to paint onto my borek with the pastry brush. You can make it more liquidy if you prefer.

9. Finally, before placing it in the oven you can sprinkle the top with sesame seeds for a nutty hint. It will make it look beautiful.
10. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until crust has turned a dark gold.

11. Let cool for a few minutes before serving on a pretty plate.

I chose to serve my borek with roasted veggies and my green salad. It can be served on its own as an appetizer or with a meat dish. You can slice the whole spiral into wedges/slices or pull the tubes apart and make it finger food. Most importantly, it should be enjoyed because it is heavenly. I made it two days in a row!

* Don'k know what to do with that left over yufka? You can seal it in a ziploc with as little air as possible, and freeze it for a later date, or make more borek! It can have virtually any filling you can imagine. I decided to make some ground chicken with onions, garlic, mushrooms and a hint of tomato paste, sauteed in butter. Once cooled, I filled the left over yufka. I had a lot of ripped pieces but managed to make cigar shaped rolls and placed them next to each other creating a rectangular pie. They were delicious!

Don't fear the kitchen! Be creative with food!!!






*If you have a lot of parsley and don't want to waste it, add some to your salad for a hint of excitement for the taste buds. Also, it can be chopped and placed in an ice tray (approx. 2 tablespoons per ice mold) with a small amount of water.

Freeze it without covering it and once frozen transfer to a ziploc. Thawed, it will give you that fresh parsley taste all year round!

Eat Pray Love

Everyone goes through tough break-ups in their lifetime. Its part of the human condition. I too have been through those, and these events injure one's heart in strange ways. The person who gets their heart broken suffers, but so does the person who is responsible for that heartbreak. When a person knows or realizes their relationship is no longer what it was, or if they realize it never became what you wanted or needed, or even if the relationship becomes a trap, that person suffers too. They fight in their minds about implications, decisions, and the upcoming confrontation, and it is a painful process that sometimes goes on for weeks, months, and in some couple's lives, even years. Its a place where both parties are unhappy. The "destroyer" fights daily trying to resolve how to avoid hurting the person they have spend a given amount of time with, and the "destroyee" usually senses the issue and fights internally about how to avoid the confrontation because they do not want to be lonely and hurt. Once that confrontation occurs, the "destroyee" is the one hurt, as the "destroyer" becomes someone who is the center of anger, blame, remorse. This person suffers just as much as the other. Loneliness becomes their only friend, inside they're heart. This person fights within themselves: "did I do the right thing?", "why did it have to come to this?", "how could I have avoided such a situation?", and so on. It is a terrible place to be. But once the horrible grieving process subdues, a bright happiness fills the heart. The person's heart and mind open up to seeing what could be next. Doors open, ideas formulate, dreams become motivations, freedom rings!

Watching "Eat Pray Love" today made me realize that everything will be OK. If you let your heart and your mind free of past grievances, blames and pains, you will find warmth and happiness and a place where you are once again in control of yourself. You become balanced. while I have started this process a few months ago, I did not truly understand how to move on. I understand now. Your physical life is short, and spending too much time dwelling on the past will shorten your future and most importantly your present. You must move on and take in what come your way, take chances and make firm decisions.

Anyone who has gone through heartache, or became lost in their lives, should see this movie/read the book. The book will be my next step. The story made an impact on me, and I hope others can have the same revelations as I did. I'm happy :-)

The GRE journey begins...among other things

Today I registered for the GRE exam. I'll be taking it on Monday July 18th 2011, at 12:30PM in Queens NYC. The damn thing cost $160, but thanks to the Tax Gods I can afford it haha. I have a while to conquer the strategy. If I start studying the week of the 22nd, that leaves me with 4 months to study....I think I'll be good. I'm sure I'll have some witty vocabulary blogs, as well as frustrating math problem blogs. I'm already entertained, and I haven't even begun! I bought the essential vocabuary flash cards. Those will come with me everywhere I go, because its easy to carry and great to kill time, especially when I'm travelling between CT and NYC on the train. Perfect. I mean I woud prefer a novel, but this is essential to my future! Kinga is a darling for giving me her old GRE test prep book.

I should put a countdown timer on here, and a progress meter or something. Gotta keep track of my goal!

Now just for the record, if any of my coworkers are reading this, don't fret! The scores are good for 5 years! I just need to do this because I think about Grad school often, and the test is changing, and I need to do it before it changes into something frightening! Wow if I wrote that last sentence in a GRE essay, I would fail. It was a terrible run on, and badly structured hahaha.

What else is new? Well, I have NOT been driving in a car since the accident. My plan is to get back in the saddle this coming week, and the week after. The test is on March 26th. I think I'm good. I just have to get over the accident part. I also realized that I would have to get insured under someone, probably my mom, so I can legally drive in a private vehicle. That's gonna be an expensive headache!

This weekend I promise recipes. I'm overdue and I apologize. Its been a hectic few days. There will probably be one complete meal on here and it will be delicious!

I bought a new point and shoot digital camera. My little "pocket" one broke after several LONG years. It was time for a new one (again thank you Tax Gods!). It was only 146 with shipping and tax. Its a Sony Cyber-Shot, like my last one, but better! I decided to go with a Sony as opposed to a Nikon or Cannon, mainly because I have memory cards to go in a Sony and a battery and charger. This way I don't have to dish out even more money on those items. I wanted a green one, because I'm 27 and still have a favorite color, but instead I got a blue one. It was so pretty I couldn't resist! I just hope it ships in time for next weekend. I really wanna take pictures at Kinga's birthday party.

and I ramble on...Time for a movie and some lite supper :)