Lavémonos los Dientes

We went to the Planned Parenthood used book sale in Santa Barbara this weekend and came home with some interesting books. One of the things I found was an old LDS hymnal in Spanish titled Himnos de Sión. As I was looking through it, I came across a song titled "Lavémonos los Dientes." Here are the lyrics in Spanish:

Los Dientes no me lavaré, Un niño exclamó
Ya me lavé, ya me peiné, con eso me bastó.
Mas en su boca se oyó un grito de placer,
Y los microbios sin temor, salieron a comer.

Dijeron, llenos de placer: Aquí hay buen hogar
Entre sus dientes sin lavar, podremos festejar.
Oyó el niño de su plan y pronto se lavó,
A los microbios él mató, ni uno escapó.

It took a little bit of searching, but I found an old post on Times and Seasons that contains the lyrics to the original English version (titled "Tooth Bugs"), which I'm posting here so all the gringos out there don't have to be stuck reading my own translation.

I do not want to clean my teeth, a little boy once cried,
I’ve washed my face and combed my hair, That's quite enough, he sighed;
Some tooth bugs hiding in his mouth, Began to dance in glee;
At last we’ve found a home,” they cried, We do not have to flee!

This boy has such a nice warm mouth, We’ll linger here all night;
His teeth are filled with bits of food, We’ll eat with all our might!
The small boy heard their shout of glee, Get out of there, he cried;
He grabbed his brush and scrubbed and scrubbed ‘Till every tooth bug died.

Two questions: how did this song ever make into the hymn book? And why did they ever take it out?

the trainwreck express rolls on

On Slate's XX Factor blog, E.J. Graff commented on Sarah Palin's discussion of foreign policy and the economy with Katie Couric:

I am speechless. She cannot possibly be this uninformed. You absolutely have to see these [video clips] for yourself to believe them. These are self-mocking; they could be SNL appearances. Tina Fey couldn't possibly improve on this.

This is why they've been keeping her under wraps.

Oh my goodness, I couldn't agree more. No wonder McCain wants to cancel, I mean, postpone, the VP debate. Here's just one snippet from the interview:

Couric: Well, explain to me why [Alaska's proximity to Russia] enhances your foreign-policy credentials.

Palin: Well, it certainly does, because our, our next-door neighbors are foreign countries, there in the state that I am the executive of. And there…

Couric: Have you ever been involved in any negotiations, for example, with the Russians?

Palin: We have trade missions back and forth, we do. It's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia. As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there, they are right next to our state.

Even Miss South Carolina was more coherent.

winner winner beets and chard dinner

After making the beet and carrot pancakes last week, I found myself with two leftover beets. And then after making the mole verde (which I'll probably post about sometime soon), I found myself with a lot of leftover swiss chard.

I figured I could use the rest of the beets to make more pancakes, or roast them and make a salad topping out of them. As for the leftover swiss chard...well, I had no idea what to do with the swiss chard, but I thought I'd come up with something eventually.

Then today, I was perusing the New York Times like I usually do when I came across a new recipe in the food section for "False Mahshi"—a spin on a traditional middle eastern dish made with jasmine rice, beef, and...wait for it....beets and chard.

What can I say, it was meant to be. You can check out the recipe (and accompanying article, related in the sidebar) here.

taco, meet soup

With the first day of fall upon us, I decided that it's a good time to pull out my trusty soup recipes. Exhibit A: Taco Soup.


This is probably one of my favorite fool-proof recipes. No measuring required. The Rotel gives it a nice kick, although I suppose you could substitute a can of diced tomatoes if you like a milder flavor. You can also switch out the black beans or kidney beans with pinto if you prefer.

Taco Soup

1-2 tsp. cooking oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 can kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 can chopped stewed tomatoes
1 can olives (sliced)
1 packet taco seasoning mix
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1-2 cups water
Salt

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add chopped onions and saute until tender; mix in ground turkey and cook until brown.

Add the canned ingredients, taco seasoning mix, ranch dressing mix, and water. Give the pot a good stir, lower heat, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Serve with grated cheese and tortilla chips.

news from Bolivia

The LDS church announced recently that all North American missionaries serving in Bolivia have been transferred to Peru temporarily. This is in reaction to political unrest in Bolivia resulting in the expulsion of the U.S. ambassador (or a more leftist take on the events, click here). I found an article in Deseret News about the church's decision to pull missionaries out of Bolivia. Here's a non-random sample of comments from readers of that article.

The first comment, referring to the Bolivian government:

Pray for them, folks; they don't know any better

Yes, it would be so much easier if you just let our government make your decisions for you. A few examples to show exactly what the U.S. government can do for your Latin American country: the 1973 Chilean coup resulting in human rights violations and the Pinochet dictatorship; the 1954 Guatemalan coup organized by the CIA that led to military rule, genocide, and increased discrimination; and the Iran-contra affair, where Oliver North sold weapons to Iran and used the money to fund a bloody terrorist war to overthrow a democratically elected Sandinista government in Nicaragua. Speaking of democratically elected leaders, this next comment refers to the Morales administration specifically:

It is sad to see the loss of democracy in some of these South American countries.

Apparently, these people lost democracy by electing someone in a fair election where Morales received a true majority (53.7%) of the popular vote. After Morales had been in office for a few years, the politicians opposed to him were fed up and were able to finally organize a recall referendum to kick him out, but the people of Bolivia voted against the referendum with a 67% majority. Now the prefects of the rich regions are trying again to restore "democracy" by using violence to physically remove Morales from office and continuing to oppress the poor majority.

He's trying to re-write the Bolivian constitution like Venezuela for crying out loud!

Please, no re-writing of constitutions. That should be reserved for really serious problems like gays wanting to get married.

beets revisited

The last time I blogged about beets, my dad e-mailed me a recipe for beet and carrot pancakes. Sounds interesting, no? I finally tried making them today and they were very flavorful—reminded me of hash browns, but healthier. Plus, they're quick and easy to make (though grating the beets was a bit messy).

I could see how someone would think that they don't look very appetizing based on this picture, but trust me, they're delicious.

The recipe suggests topping the pancakes with sour cream, but we didn't have any, so we just ate them with crema mexicana (they were just as good on their own, too). TJ also added salsa verde on top of his because he puts salsa on everything.

Thanks to dad for passing along the recipe!

Beet and Carrot Pancakes

• 1 1/3-cups packed, coarsely shredded peeled beets (about 2 medium)
• 1 cup coarsely shredded peeled carrots (about 2 medium)
• 1 cup thinly sliced onion
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 cup flour
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• Sour cream

Preheat oven to 300-degrees. Place baking sheet in oven. Combine beets, carrots and onion in a large bowl. Mix in egg, salt and pepper. Add flour; stir to blend well.

Heat 1 1/2 tbsp. oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Using 1/3-cup beet mixture for each pancake, drop 4 pancakes into skillet. Flatten each into 3-inch round. Cook until brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer pancakes to baking sheet in oven; keep warm. Repeat with remaining beet mixture, making 4 more pancakes.

Serve pancakes with sour cream.

God: BYU's #1 fan

Lauren e-mailed me a hilarious link to some guy's comment about the BYU football team the other day. Here's just a portion of his remarks.

BYU carries the name of the Church where ever it goes, if the players live good lives and they work hard they will be blessed and yes those blessing can include winning football games. Why wouldn't the Lord care? Of course he cares, he cares about everything we do and all the aspects of our lives, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matt 6:3 Have any of you wondered why we are having success, it's because Bronco's got his priorities straight #1 Spirit, remember God and do his will #2 Tradition, remember what is to be a member of this fraternity, this band of brothers and live up to the expectation. Keep the traditional alive through your actions now. #3 Honor, Honor God, your teammates and the community by doing what’s expected, live worthy, do your duty, and keep your promises.

So did God call the excessive celebration penalty against Washington last week? Or maybe cast a spirit of confusion on the Washington special teams unit to allow BYU to go in there untouched to block the kick? God is really making this team successful by allowing them to beat a Div-IAA team and barely win against the worst pac-10 team.

And in case you were wondering why there are rules in football, Coach Bronco explains: "We do have the rules for a reason. They are to teach principles of class and integrity." Apparently these rules are so important to him that he has explained them clearly to all his players. Which is why BYU offensive lineman Travis Bright is quoted as saying, "I didn't know the rule."

But as for real football news, Fresno has their big game tonight against Wisconsin at 10:30 ET on the deuce. It's the first time a Big 10 school dares to come to Bulldog Stadium (even though they reportedly offered 7 figures to Fresno to move it to a neutral site). And Fresno State is so excited they put a 25 foot tall jersey up in the middle of campus.

Kanush!!

moose in headlights

James Fallows wrote the best analysis on Sarah Palin's interview with Charles Gibson last night. Click here to read.

I thought Fallows's take was fair and insightful, not to mention totally scary and frustrating, given the close state of the current national polling numbers. As Mencken said, "No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public."

In related news, Politico is reporting that Palin's doing her next interview (and I'm using that term loosely here) with Sean Hannity next week. I'm shocked.

curried tofu + fried rice

I didn't know how to make fried rice until my first year out of college.

I suppose that might sound a little strange for somebody with my ethnic background. But at home, mom and grandma were always in charge of the kitchen, particularly when it came to food of the Asian/Filipino variety. As a result, I didn't do much cooking back then; my job was just to eat, get fat, and make the occasional pie or batch of cookies.

So my first attempts at fried rice were less than spectacular. It didn't taste bad at all, but it probably resembled soggy paella more than it resembled the delicious greased up fried rice I was used to getting at home. Little did I know that I was missing the secret ingredient: cold, hard, leftover cooked rice, rather than the freshly steamed kind. Also, I found that a hot pan is important, and it's a good idea to cook everything separately to avoid overcooking and/or having the juices from the meat or vegetables mush up the rice.

Homemade fried rice has no longer been a disappointment after I figured this out. I also like fried rice because it makes for a quick, no-fuss meal—just use whatever vegetables and/or meat you have and go.

For dinner tonight, we made up some fried rice combined with curried tofu. Here's the method to our madness for anyone who wants to try:

ingredients

• 2 24 oz. cartons extra firm tofu
  
• salt
  
• 1 tsp sugar
  
• 1 tsp curry powder
  
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
  
• 1 tsp ground cumin
  
• 4 cups chopped vegetables (we used carrots and broccoli) + 1 cup frozen peas (I like to load up on the veggies, but you can adjust the quantities to your own tastes)
  
• vegetable oil
  
• cold cooked rice made from 2 cups dried rice
  
• 2 tsp sesame oil
  
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
  

directions

Cut the tofu into small (about 1/2 inch) pieces. Simmer in salted water for about 3 minutes; drain and place tofu on paper towels and blot dry. Toss the cubes in a bowl with 1 tsp salt, sugar, curry powder, turmeric, and cumin.

Heat about 2 tbsp oil in a large skillet or wok, add the tofu, and saute over medium-high heat until golden. Transfer sauteed tofu to a large bowl and set aside; return the skillet to the stove.

Heat about 1/2 tsp oil and saute the vegetables until nearly tender. Transfer to bowl with tofu and set aside; return the skillet to the stove.

Heat about 1-2 tbsp oil and add cold rice (you'll want to make sure that all the large chunks are broken up before doing this). Stir to coat rice with oil and spread rice to cover surface of the skillet. Let sit for about 3 or 4 minutes, then toss to cook the other side for a few minutes. Repeat until all the grains are evenly cooked.

Drizzle the soy sauce and sesame oil over the rice and toss to coat. Mix in vegetables and tofu. Taste and add salt/additional soy sauce if needed.

Makes a lot.

the rules are the rules

In case you missed it, BYU beat Washington after a controversial call (or controversial rule) forcing Washington to kick their tying PAT from 35 yards back rather than the typical 20 yard kick. BYU blocked that kick and won the game, which brings up discussions of whether that call should've been made, whether this rule should exist, and whether BYU would've still blocked that kick if the penalty was not called.

At best, this was a proper interpretation of a rule that almost nobody agrees with, which makes it unfortunate that this call played a critical role in how the game ended. When BYU's head coach Bronco Mendenhall was asked about it at the end of the game, instead of responding with some comment about how it's tough to end a game that way or that you always prefer players to determine the outcome of the game rather than officials, he responded with "the rules are the rules."

Why does this response sound so familiar? Maybe it has something to do with going to BYU and being told that I needed to cut my hair because the length was "almost breaking the honor code." Or not being allowed to play in a BYU intramural basketball game because I hadn't shaved that day (my team eventually got kicked out of league play for making a "mockery of the game of basketball"). Or hearing way too many students say things like "illegal is illegal" when referring to immigration (remember, Cougars don't cut corners). And that the spirit goes to bed at midnight (except on Friday nights when it goes to bed at 1:30).

notes from bizzaro world

I mean, the Republican National Convention.

• Fred Thompson, at the triumphant conclusion of his speech: "God bless John McCain, and John bless America!" Was he trying to equate McCain with God? Or was it simply way past his bedtime?

• U-S-A! U-S-A! Drill, baby, drill! U-S-A!
  

• Finally, a 9/11 reference from Rudy Giuliani about 15 minutes into his speech. I knew he wouldn't let me down.

• Mitt Romney's energy plan: keep Gore's imaginary private jet on the ground. (that one's from TJ)
  

• Sarah Pawlenty, er, Palin: did a nice job of channeling her inner Rove. Talked a lot about her family for a person whose family is supposed to be publicly off-limits.

• First McConaughey, and now this. Poor Levi.

• Actual signs being waved in audience: "Raisin McCain," "The Mavrick." Because proper spelling is so un-American.

• Cindy McCain: campaigning to succeed Laura Bush as First Robot.
  

• What did we learn about John McCain? That he is a POW. And a maverick. Policy? What policy?

Ugh. I feel like I need a shower.

red velvet bulldogs

I made some red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting in honor of Fresno State's opening game against Rutgers.

I have to say that the idea of red velvet cake kind of makes me gag. I don't know...maybe it has something to do with the two ounces of red no. 40 that I just emptied into my mixing bowl? But of course, the taste of delicious cupcakes always trumps any doubts about artificial coloring, and these were really good.

In case anyone's wondering, here's what the green V is all about:

When Pat Hill became Fresno State's head coach prior to the 1997 season, he wanted to reinvigorate San Joaquin Valley pride in the Bulldogs. Because Fresno State is the only Division I football program in the Valley, a 250-mile stretch in California's midsection from Bakersfield to Modesto, Hill wanted to make the Bulldogs the "Green Bay Packers of college football." As Coach Hill often states, Fresno State is not only representing Fresno, its representing the entire Valley.

This representation of the San Joaquin Valley is displayed in the form of a green "V" on the back of the Bulldogs' helmets. The green in the "V" is a symbol to the agricultural community of the Central Valley, which is the world's richest agricultural area in export dollars. [source]

Also, Fresno State won 24-7. It had to be the cupcakes.