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Have you heard of W. David Hager?
If you live in the US, I hope you're paying attention to chairmanship of the FDA Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee. The Bush administration has chosen W. David Hager for this very important post -- a man who recommends scripture reading and prayer to treat PMS and postpartum depression and who will not prescribe contraceptives to unmarried women.
Take action now! Call Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson at 202-690-7000. "I urge you to oppose the appointment of W. David Hager, because critical women's health care policy and drug research must not be held hostage by anti-abortion politics."
Send mail to our alleged president and to the FDA using this handy form (find the "Take Action Now!" box, and click "Go!"), provided by the feminist majority foundation.
I'm reading a lovely column by Mark Morford on SF Gate.
"believe you are a part of a groundswell, a resistance, a seemingly small but actually very, very large impending karmic overhaul, a great shift, the beginning of something important and potent and unstoppable. You can breathe like this is the most lucid thing there is to believe. You can walk down the street like you are full of divine free wet secrets."
it must be fall...
...I have an embarrassment of apples. 'tis the season for pies, crisps, cobblers, and brown betties.
'tis the season....
Three clothing catalogs showed up in the mail today.
One was Newport News, who I order from periodically -- I used to order from them when I was a kid, too. The clothes they carry usually come in a great range of sizes -- many of them up to 24W (fits 54" hip), some only up to 18 (fits 45" hip). This makes me happy, as I've got 41" hips that don't usually fit into the size-12 maximum that most places carry.
I received a Lerner catalog, whose wares are similar to Newport News' in both sizes and styling; Lerner is a Brylane Brand, which means they're the same people who do Lane Bryant. The final catalog that I got is Lew Magram, which I hadn't even heard of before -- and other than one overpriced outfit, I'm less interested in (but woooo, that's some outfit).
But the arrival of the catalogs has reminded me -- it's my favorite time for clothes-shopping, because everything is shiny and fuzzy. And these catalogs carry all sorts of things that are stretchy, fit-and-flare, and/or have princess seams. Which makes me very happy. And will continue making me happy all the way into January when it all goes on sale! :)
That's all. Nothing deep, here.
(and yes, I'm still fond of the clothes at Peggy Lutz, but her smallest off-the-rack size is a little big for me, and her stuff is way spendy. But gorgeous.)
soupe d'split pea provencal
I haven't even finished simmering this but the smell is making my stomach growl. I seem to be on a Provence kick; the darkening season is encourgaing me to turn to sunshine-infused flavors.
2/3 lb split peas, soaked overnight
3 tbs olive oil, or more
1 onion
5 cloves garlic
2 tbs herbs de provence, crushed well
3 tbs honey
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
4 cups delicate vegetable broth
salt, pepper to taste
Drain peas. Place in saucepan with water to cover. Simmer over very low heat until tender (this will take anywhere from minutes to hours, depending on how much the soaking softened them to begin with, I think). Drain.
Dice onion very small. Heat olive in a large, heavy soup pot until nearly smoking. Add onion and saute for five minutes. Crush garlic, add to olive oil/onion mixture; saute ten minutes more. Add broth, split peas, herbs de provence, honey, vinegar, salt, pepper. Simmer for awhile.
Play with the balance of honey, vinegar, salt, and olive oil until satisfied.
That's where I'm at so far; I can't decide whether I want to puree this or not, and whether I want to add the can of diced tomatoes I've set aside.
We'll see. The aroma is very distracting.
Vegetable stock, and the first Monday in October
Straw poll: To bay leaf, or not to bay leaf?
Or, since I've already begun cooking up stock out of the vegetable cuttings of the last season (plus several fresh carrots) and used both whole bay leaves and cracked bay leaves, how much bay leaf?
I put in, at the start, about the expected quantity of bay leaf, according to The Vegetarian Bistro which suggests 3 bay leaves per six cups of water. The scent of this broth, just fifteen minutes into simmering, is too overwhelmingly that of bay leaves. (it does, in fact, currently rest on its laurels.) I've pulled out the whole leaves (that I can find) but can't fish out the cracked ones.
I know the scent of the broth will develop as it simmers over the next few hours, but so will the remaining bits of cracked bay leaf. So, for this batch, or the next, make your vote count: Do I add these six leaves back in? Do I use this much next time?
And, while I listen to KUOW (who's having a pledge drive -- have you given money to public radio?) rebroadcasting Senator Robert Byrd's rousing speech from Friday's senate session, I have to pass along my fun URL of the day: Masturbate For Peace. Think globally, whack locally!
Also, if the Supreme Court (who's back in session today!) is more your style, are you wearing red panties for reproductive choice today? I am!
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